Stolen Hearts
by Tatanka4Life
Summary: Knowing how many lives would be extinguished by her choice was a heavy burden, but it was one she was willing to bear for the remaining moments of her life. Shepard had chosen to destroy the Reapers and leave the woman she loved without ever telling the thief her true feelings. It seemed too late now, but sometimes one journey must end for another to begin.
1. Chapter 1

Stolen Hearts

Chapter 1

Final Goodbye

Anastasia Shepard collapsed to her hands and knees before the decision that she had chosen. Her long sweat and blood covered red hair stuck to her face as she grunted in pain at the landing, _this shouldn't be my choice_, Anastasia thought. She looked up to the red tube directly in front of her_, by choosing this I'm destroying all synthetic life. _The red haired commander's heart sank, _EDI, the Geth, Kasumi's graybox of Keiji's memories…all are going to be gone._ She felt tears in her eyes at the thought of all the deaths it would cause her friends and a whole race…but it would bring peace by killing the Reapers as well.

Was that price worth it in the end?

Would the other choices be any better?

Anastasia looked to her left and saw the green center_, If I chose Synthesis there will be peace…but this A.I. said it wouldn't have worked before because it isn't something that can be forced…wouldn't I be forcing it on them now? Are we truly ready for such a merging?_ The first human Spectre shook her head to herself feeling the tears going down her face_, I can't force everyone into something like that._ There were more than a fair share of people who would object to something like that so in a sense she would be forcing it on them.

If it would fail or cause some type abomination somewhere down the line she couldn't risk it. This was a be all end all choice and they all had their own double edged sword to them. She looked further to the left to the blue choice_, _could it solve the conflict?_ It said I could control the Reapers…but could I truly do it? What stops me from becoming this damn A.I. and using the Reapers as a tool in a manner I did not intend?_

Anastasia shook her head once again, if she held doubt of her own will she couldn't risk her will one day becoming the very thing she fought against. All the sacrifices her friends had made, all the deaths of the innocent families would all be wasted because of her._ I have fought to __**stop**__ the Reapers __**not**__ turn them into a tool at my disposal_. The commander spat blood onto the ground,_ I would be spitting in the faces of all my friends I have lost to this damned war! And what if this damn thing is just trying to make sure it survives? Self-preservation isn't just an organic trait._ She shook her head once more_, no I have to destroy them once and for all._

The decision was made but the red haired commander could barely bring herself to go through with it.

To do what needed to be done.

Her own survival didn't matter to her and she doubted she would live much longer anyways. Each inhale of air brought in the smell of charred flesh and blood mixed together like some sort of deranged cocktail made by the devil himself. Anastasia's armor was wrecked if you could even call the remaining pieces that hadn't shattered off armor; her gut was draining out her blood slowly and methodically like someone had turned a faucet on with the least amount of pressure possible. The red heads eyes felt swollen and burnt around the edges while her left cheek had a fine cut diagonally down it leaving from her cheek to the bottom of her neck coated in blood.

No she was not going to make it back but that didn't matter.

What mattered was that she was going to have to commit genocide to kill the Reapers. The first human Spectre was going to have to kill the Geth, the very race her friend Legion had sacrificed himself for to allow true intelligence to be finally achieved. That wasn't all though, EDI who had just become more than Anastasia had ever dreamed of was another casualty of this choice.

Tears were flowing down her cheeks as she punched the ground in frustration at such a price to pay for peace. Each choice came down to sacrifice and each sacrifice led to some sort of double edged sword with a morally heavy cost. This red tube though wouldn't just wipe out the Geth and EDI, it was frying all tech apparently. That meant the Relays, omni-tools, V.I.s, space craft. The list of what this would destroy had such a high tally. It would also cost Kasumi her only link to the memories of Keiji. The memories that had been sustaining her best friend since parting from the Normandy were going to be destroyed. _I'm so sorry_, Anastasia cried internally while tears ran down her face, _I'm so fucking sorry._

It took a moment to force herself back to her feet with the A.I. just quietly watching her. Anastasia wished she could just shoot it but she wouldn't risk losing her only chance at saving all she could. _The ruthless calculus of war, ten billion die over here so twenty billion can live over there…I wasn't ready for it Garrus but I won't let you all down. I'll end this war once and for all. _The red head wiped her eyes which led to her smearing more blood onto her face as she took a sturdy step forward.

She held no regrets in life other than the burden this choice would give her for the next few seconds before she died.

The commander stopped herself from continuing forward.

No that was a false sentiment.

Anastasia did hold one regret and one alone and that was not telling Kasumi the truth when they spoke last.

* * *

_"Drinks will be on me after this is over Shep." Kasumi said. Shepard smiled slightly but as the thief's hand reached for her console she spoke up. _

_If this was the end she had to tell her. _

"_Kasumi before you go I wanted to thank you." Shepard spoke steadily despite her heart beginning to pump faster. This final goodbye would prove to be the hardest yet. She held so many feelings for the hooded woman in front of her and they were nearly bursting at the seams. _

_Kasumi tilted her head in question, "Thank me? For what?" she asked. The commander felt her breath hitch momentarily, __**for stealing my heart**__. _

_No she couldn't say that now…no matter how much she wished to. _

_It was too late now. _

"_For everything…you've been a great friend and though I missed not having you on the Normandy during this war I was…" __**Thrilled, ecstatic. **__"Happy that I had been able to see you at the party. If this goes south for me and I don't make it out I wanted you to know…" _

_**I love you**__. _

"_It was an honor knowing you." Shepard said. _

_Shepard had grown very fond of the thief during her time on the Normandy when they fought the Collectors. They had spent so much time together just talking or sharing a drink at her lounge. The red head wasn't sure if it was true or not but she believed that the time the two had spent together helped Kasumi not become completely plugged into the graybox. _

_Obviously that didn't matter much anymore since they were a part for so long that she fell into its grasps. Shepard hadn't realized how much her feelings had grown from being fond to loving her until she saw her once again after the whole clone business. Somewhere deep down hidden within her heart kept under lock and key the commander had always yearned to be closer to the thief. _

_The feelings had been kept caged away even from the red head herself but seeing her again, fighting side by side with the thief in the combat arena…finding her looking through her underwear. Everything made its way together finishing the puzzle and unlocking the cage allowing those feelings loose for Shepard to understand. She had mentally kicked herself in the ass many times since her last meeting with Kasumi for not speaking her mind regardless of how the lithe thief felt._

_It wasn't that the commander didn't care if Kasumi held the same feelings; it was quite the contrary with Shepard hoping that she did. The reason she wished to have spoken her mind was that now that the feelings had been released, now that she understood what they were and who she truly loved the first human Spectre was scared. _

_The red head was too frightened to say anything to the woman in front of her via hologram. The woman she had begun to cherish seeing in the lounge or out on the battlefield fighting beside her making quips regardless if the situation was FUBAR or not._

_Even if Kasumi didn't hold the same feelings at least she would have gotten it out of the way and things would have gotten back to normal. Shepard could handle being told no, she was grown woman after all and knew when to fold and back away. If that had been the case the feelings would have once again been put under lock and key back into the hidden recesses of her heart and soul where it would no longer cause her pain._

_And boy did it hurt just having the feeling. _

_Maybe that's when you knew love was real, when it hurt so bad to love them because you knew deep down that you wouldn't be there for them…__**No matter how much I wish I could be.**__ This was likely a one way trip for the N7 Spectre and without a return ticket there was no point saying how she felt now. _

_She wouldn't burden the thief with something like that. The commander didn't want Kasumi to wonder about what could have been different if Shepard had only made it alive or would have told her feelings sooner._

_The look Kasumi gave her could have cut a Reaper in half as her tone grew stern and to the point, "Don't say that." Shepard was nearly taken aback by the sternness coming from the fun loving thief. "You __**are **__going to make it out of there after you're done kicking the Reapers to hell. This is __**not**__ the last time I see you or you me."_

_The commander forced a laugh that didn't come out humorous, "Heh, I wish I shared your optimism on my own survival." Shepard said. In truth she felt something ominous about this whole mission but that could have just been jitters with what was at stake. Their very future was on the line and if this failed they would all be wiped out. Humans, Turians, Krogans, Quarians, every race would be extinguished. _

"_Just remember who you're fighting beside and who you fight for and you'll make it out alive Shep. We __**will**__ see this through." Kasumi said confidently. It took a moment but Shepard nodded in response, "And if you could do me a personal favor that would be nice." _

_Shepard smiled as she crossed her arms over her chest casually, "Is this another undercover operation because if it is I'm going to start thinking you just want to see me in a dress and heels. If that's the case then you could just ask me to dinner Kasumi." She was mostly making a joke but if the thief really wanted her to dress up again it was really going to have to be dinner. The commander hated getting dressed up but she would have made an exception for a chance to go on a date with her favorite thief. _

_Kasumi gave a nervous laugh as she shook her head and rubbed her arm slightly, "Congratulations you made me blush Shep. I hope you're happy." Shepard wasn't sure if she should have caught any hints there but she let all those thoughts go, it was probably just her imagination anyways. _

"_I think I could die happily now knowing that I finally managed to make you blush." The red head said with a smile. Knowing she had been able to finally make the lithe thief blush was an accomplishment worth noting for Shepard. Out of all the jokes she had made whether they be flirty jokes from before she realized she wished she hadn't been joking or just attempts to make Kasumi without a witty quip she had never been able to make her blush. _

_That changed now but sometimes things were too little too late. _

"_Yeah well you better not die." Kasumi said. Her tone was serious once again, an order perhaps instead of a favor. Shepard smirked inwardly, Kasumi ordering her around? It was a ridiculous notion but one she'd entertain mentally for fun._

"_Is that the favor?" The commander asked. She doubted it since it sounded more like something that just came to mind at that moment but she needed to know if it was. She couldn't make a promise she wasn't sure was possible to keep._

_The thief shook her head, "No but you can consider it added on to the favor...just keep your head down okay…and get out alive…please." It sounded as if she was almost begging Shepard to return. In all their time together she had never seen Kasumi so…desperate for her answer to be what she wanted._

_Shepard nodded in response, she couldn't promise that she would make it out alive but she could do the next best thing. "I promise I will do my best just because you asked so nicely." The red head promised. She felt her time running out with her best friend and secret crush, she needed to close this before her emotions got the better of her. "And Kasumi… If I don't make it through this…I want you to know that I will be watching." Shepard felt tears beginning to form in her eyes, "You'll never be alone." The commander said as the emotion she was feeling seeped out into the words. _

"_Shep-."_

"_Lola we gotta go" Vega called from behind her cutting off whatever the thief was going to say. _

_It was time. _

_Despite the interruption leaving Shepard wondering what Kasumi was going to say Vega was a good man and a better friend than he gave himself credit for. She was going to be sad when he left her squad for N7 School. _

_If it was still standing and if they won this war._

_The red head let out a sad sigh as she looked to Kasumi one last time who clearly didn't want to say goodbye just yet. Shepard really wished she would have been able to see the thief smile one last time but she brought her hand to the console, "Goodbye Kasumi."_

* * *

Anastasia felt the hot tears running down her face as the memory of the saddened thief's face played through her mind. She still wished she could have seen that spectacular smile one last time with those bright eyes behind her hood making the smile even more intoxicating. To have been able to caress her face as a lover would and push the hood back to stop it from obstructing the beauty under it.

To live the thousand dreams she had dreamt for them.

_I should have told her I loved her_…_Just a dream now,_ Anastasia thought_, she wouldn't want me to be crying my eyes out now though. Knowing Kasumi she'd make a quip about something to help me push forward_. The commander stared at the tube again. _Well at least my death will end this war and be explosively spectacular. Take your good with the bad I guess. _

With a heavy sigh the commitment to her decision was made, _Maybe they'll be able to reactivate EDI and the Geth, maybe the A.I. is wrong. It can't know for sure, it didn't know I'd make it this far so how would it know that this will really destroy everything. _The optimism was painfully sedating as Anastasia forced herself forward again.

This decision shouldn't have been hers but it was her duty to choose one and end this madness before the Reapers were able to kill any more of the soldiers and friends she had out there. The commander brought her pistol up despite the amount of pain in her muscles it caused and took aim at the tube to fulfill her final choice and duty.

She fired her first round sealing her fate and her first thought was of Anderson. He had fought for her so many times and now because of the Illusive Man he was gut shotted and would likely bleed out before the medics arrived if he wasn't dead already. The Admiral had fallen unconscious before Hackett had contacted them but Shepard was unsure of how much time had passed since then.

Anderson had been a great father figure and mentor…he always had her back and never once doubted her.

A great man.

If it wasn't for meeting him after Mindoir she probably wouldn't have joined the Alliance but meeting the former Captain and Councilor had changed her. The chance meeting invigorated her to do better for those she lost even though she was only a teenager at the time.

Shepard fired another round as she thought of Joker. The Normandy's pilot, her pilot…Her friend. He had been one of her greatest friends and like Anderson he had had her back since their original days on the first Normandy. The red head hated to have to break her promise to him of making it back but he would understand eventually that she had to do this.

That she had to stop the Reapers even if it meant her own death.

She thought of EDI as well during this and felt a lump in her throat and heart. Her decision was not only costing EDI her life that she had just gotten so accustomed to but also costing Joker the person he cared about more than his own brittle life.

There was no backing out now no matter how much it shattered her heart thinking about it. Shepard fired two more rounds as she gripped the pistol with both hands and stepped closer to the tube. Glass began flying at her face grazing her skin as she thought of Tali and Garrus.

Two of her greatest friends and companions.

The red head wished them eternal happiness and hoped they would one day not feel the pain of her loss as bad as it would be initially. She hoped they would find some type of bliss in a Galaxy that would need to be repaired. _I'll always have your backs no matter what the Galaxy throws at you two._

The faces of Ashley, Mordin, Thane and Legion passed through her thoughts as she fired more rounds into the tube causing it to start to explode. Each had made the sacrifice to save as many as they could at the loss of their own lives and Shepard could only hope they would be waiting for her at the gates of whatever spiritual realm they all reached. As their faces faded the remaining faces of all her friends from the original Normandy to now came into her mind as she inched ever closer to her fate.

Each face she saw smiled to her and gave her a small nod allowing her to remember all the great times she shared with each of them. The memories ranged from Grunt shouting random things when he was drunk in her shower to Jack giving her the small Omega tattoo on her waist above her left leg hours before the party as a show of friendship.

As the explosions became more powerful they reached out to her like the arms of death trying to grab her to finally take her once and for all. Her final thought was of the thief that had stolen her heart whether she knew it or not. She was smiling her beautiful smile and her eyes gleamed with the life and dreams that Shepard had wished to have lived. _I'll be watching_, Shepard thought. She fired her final round and the explosion consumed her, _You'll never be alone…my love._

Everything went black.

**Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect or its characters, the rights to the series belongs to Bioware/EA. I'm just a huge fan of the series.**

**A/N: Okay so I've had this story idea stuck in my head for a little while and couldn't get it out of my head. This will mainly be a romancy fic and I doubt there will be much fight scenes and such if any so if you don't like that I'd suggest reading something else. This will also be a happy story since I'm a sucker for happy endings so this will also not follow the exact canon destroy ending and definitely not as long as my other story. For those reading my other fic Suicidal Odds and are worried this will take time away from it do not fear because I won't stop posting chapters for that one, I will probably be releasing one chapter each for this and that one each week since the new chapters are taking much longer to edit because of how long they have become but if it becomes to much I will likely stop posting this one each week to focus back on Suicidal Odds. I hope those who read this enjoy this chapter and reviews are appreciated. I don't have much else to say so I'll see you next time.**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Those Lost and Found

The blast of the Crucible had spread across the galaxy through the Relays deactivating most technology while also damaging the Relays and the Citadel. There was much destruction but the Reapers were defeated.

The nightmare war was finally over.

All of the Reaper forces had been destroyed alongside the Reapers and the moment it had happened all of time had seemed to stand still. It was quiet at first with the silence echoing throughout the universe until it was replaced with a roar. This roar had been different than all of the previous roars that had been haunting everyone from soldiers to children.

It was a triumphant roar.

It was a roar of freedom and it started out wordless. Everyone yelling at once in victory over the defeat of the greatest threat they had ever known. The wordless roar suddenly found its name as soon as the initial shock and awe had worn off. They all knew who had pulled this all together; they all knew who had been the spearhead that had pierced the metaphorical heart of the Reapers.

Every man and woman regardless of race all cried out to the heavens one name, the name they owed their very lives to.

Shepard.

Huerta Memorial had broken into a mixture of sobs full of happy tears and the screams of joy for the one woman who had ended their nightmare. Bailey had found himself among the few who remained silent with a mournful smile on his face as he soaked in the cheers of victory. They had evacuated everyone from the main areas of the Citadel that they could on such short notice when it had been taken control by the Reapers to different locations across the Galactic Hub but even then they had been cornered.

The doors could only hold against them for so long and fighting to hold Huerta had been one of the toughest fights they had faced. The Council was among the refugees in the hospital while Bailey had made sure if it had been his last moments that he had fought to the bitter end.

That end had never come thanks to the forces that had come together and fought the Reapers conventionally to buy time for the Crucible and Shepard to end the war to end all wars. The mournful smile that had crossed Bailey's features as he allowed his men to savor the victory was due to a premonition he felt. They were all cheering her name but the pessimist in the seasoned C-Sec officer told him that despite all the good she had done, despite ending this terrible war she had not survived it.

Commander Bailey was thankful that the nightmare was over but the victory came with so much loss that he wasn't sure how exactly he should feel. Many lives were taken by the Reapers and they wouldn't be able to get them back but the war was over. He hadn't given up hope on the woman who had did her best to make sure they had a fighting chance but he knew a hero's ending when he saw one.

This story would be told for centuries by the survivors of the war. It would be a story about sacrifice, hardship and never losing hope with one woman and her crew at the head of it all. One woman who had given them all the hope they had desperately needed and fulfilled her duty for not only the people she cared for but all those living in the Galaxy…to the end.

That would be how her story would be remembered. It was one that would inspire men and women of all races to rise to action and never forget what had happened over the course of a few months.

After the initial celebrations ended Bailey and the rest of C-Sec got to work on finding any survivors that had been able to elude the Reaper forces. Comms were pretty screwy at first but with new invigoration for life they managed to get a comm line up for all C-Sec officers. From there the search began with the remaining members of C-Sec trying to find anyone they could.

The seasoned officer took it upon himself to find Shepard and Anderson who they knew had made it to the Citadel somehow. It was still only a few hours after the Crucible had fired but many survivors were found as C-Sec combed everything from the Presidium to the Wards. Whatever Commander Anastasia Shepard had done had ended the war and restored the peace that had seemed so foreign and long gone since the war started.

A few hours of searching had gone by and so far there had been no success in finding her but Bailey held hope. She was too damn stubborn to die even if the pessimist in him was still ever present. _Figures the war ends and the hero of it all doesn't get to live to see all her hard work come to fruition_, Bailey grumbled mentally. _Damn it Shepard just because you end the war that doesn't mean you get to have an eternal rest._

She was an admirable person and one Bailey was glad to have met. He was honored to be one of the people she trusted and called friend but all of the honor in the Galaxy didn't change what he told himself.

He was failing her right now.

The seasoned officer was failing that trust by not being able to find her and bring her to safety. It really was getting to him that he couldn't find someone who would dive into the deepest pits of hell for anyone she deemed worthy.

Bailey and his squad searched through more of the rubble until the light on his omni-tool hit something that sent a glare into his eyes. Nothing made of rubble sent glares which caused a suspicion to begin to grow in the Commander. There was something there that wasn't just some wreckage. _What the hell was that_? "Sir! We found Admiral Anderson! He's bleeding badly but we still have a pulse. It's weak but it's there! The Illusive man is here as well. Looks like suicide." One of his privates called out.

Bailey turned his head back towards them_, if Anderson and that traitor are here then Shepard has to be close by…or my false sense of hope is telling me she is._ "Get him back to Huerta private." Bailey ordered.

The private, a human man, looked at him with confusion. He hadn't put two and two together yet but Bailey couldn't blame him. They were all tired with a mental capacity hitting close to empty. "What about you sir?" The private asked.

It took some will power but the seasoned officer fought back his irritable sigh. He wasn't in the mood to spell it out but he would for the sake of keeping his squad in higher hopes than usual. Most of their work so far led to survivors but seeing them in their poor states of living and knowing that they only had a limited amount of medical supplies…it all meant that no matter how many survivors they found they could still all die.

"I'm going to continue my search. If Anderson is here then I believe that Shepard will be somewhere here as well. Take the corporal with you." Bailey looked to the lieutenant of the group, "Lieutenant keep your eyes open. If Shepard's here then we're getting her out of here." A synchronized "yes sir!" came from his squad and Bailey began his search once again trying to find whatever his light reflected off.

There was still a lot of work to do to reach whatever his omni-tool had glared off, _no point in just staring at it._ The seasoned officer began lifting some of the rubble out of the way only to be faced with more rubble as he began to think he made progress. _Of all the lousy jobs war has to have searching through rubble for survivors has to be at the top. Better than playing gate keeper to the paparazzi and politicians I guess. _

Bailey let out a sigh, playing gate keeper never sounded so easy with how much hard work was ahead of them. Rebuilding an entire Galaxy was going to be a huge undertaking._ Come on Shepard you better be in here_. Bailey grunted as he moved another piece of rubble out of the way. It looked to be flooring of some type but where it had come from the officer was unsure of, all he knew was that it was heavier than it looked.

He needed to find her, even if she was dead. She deserved a hero's burial if that was the case otherwise she deserved a hero's rest and some quality time with what friends she had left. No more hero business would be Bailey's doctoral recommendation but he knew better, this Galaxy still needed to be rebuilt and they'd all be looking to her.

The Council survived the occupation of the Citadel due in no small part to his squad but he knew them better than they thought.

They had no idea where to start with this post Reaper War life.

The bonds forged in war, the alliances built to combat the greatest threat the galaxy had faced was all because of one woman. This Galaxy owed their lives to Shepard having the grit to bring all of their blubbering asses together. She deserved a break and if he was able he would stall as much as he could to give her that time.

Playing gate keeper gave him a few tricks up his sleeve.

Bailey lifted another large piece out of the way with a grunt and it thudded to the ground with a loud boom. His tired eyes bulged in shock as he saw the item that his flashlight had reflected off. _N7? That can only be…_ the seasoned officers thoughts stopped short as he saw the woman the tags belonged to.

He had wished to find her and here she was but it had sent a momentary shock through his body stopping his movement completely. When he saw her chest raise and a sharp intake of breath following it the shock evaporated into thin air as his senses came flowing back to him. "Lieutenant! Get your ass over here right now and call for another med-evac! I found Shepard!" Bailey yelled.

Not even a second passed as the sound of boots hitting the ground at a full sprint began making their way towards the officer. Bailey grabbed the N7 dog tags and stuffed them in his pocket; he would keep them safe until she could wear them again.

Losing her was not an option.

The lieutenant was stilled with shock as he reached the pair just as Bailey was but the veteran didn't let it hold, "Lieutenant don't just stand there like she put you in a stasis field! Help me lift this rubble that's pinning her down." Bailey ordered as he grabbed one side of the large rubble that had Shepard's legs pinned.

Bailey and the lieutenant lifted the rubble off with a struggled grunt and as they both went back to grab Shepard her chest rose as she took in another deep breath, "Damn it Shepard you better stay alive. I didn't just find you so you could go die on us." The officer said as he began to lift her up.

"…Ba- Bailey?" Shepard croaked.

She looked like hell.

Her entire face was coated in blood with cuts littered across her face and burns around her eyes. He had never seen the strong woman in such a sorry state.

"Save your breath Shepard I don't need you dying because you wanted to hold a conversation. Lieutenant where is that med-evac?" Bailey asked. There would be time to talk when she wasn't in such a bad predicament.

"A minute out sir." The lieutenant replied.

Didn't they just like to push his realm of dis-believability? Now was not the time for a damn coffee break. A minute could mean life or death and if they thought they had seen him pissed off they'd see a whole new level of pissed off if Shepard died on his watch. "Tell them I wanted them here a minute ago. We have the damned hero of the galaxy in need of immediate medical assistance." Bailey said.

Movement from Shepard grabbed Bailey's attention as she tried to lift her head to look at him but instead of looking at him she looked out into the open as she tried to look him in the eyes. She obviously couldn't see by the burn marks around her eyes but he doubted it was permanent. She'd throw a fit if she went blind. "Bailey…tell her…tell her I loved her."

There was no way he was going to go around asking every single woman he knew that Shepard knew if she was the one the Spectre wished to tell them she loved them. She could damn well do it herself once she was better.

They were not going to lose her.

"Hold your horses Shepard you can tell whoever it is yourself when we get out of here." Bailey promised.

The shuttle arrived finally and Bailey and the lieutenant got Shepard on board and began heading towards Huerta. The seasoned officer opened up his omni-tool and set up a link to all his C-Sec officers, "This is Bailey. I want C-Sec officers waiting for me at Huerta. We have two war heroes that need medical attention and I don't want a reporter or anyone else crowding the medical officers or the wounded. If you see reporters keep them the hell away. Am I understood?"

"Officers on the way sir. The Council would like to know who you found Commander." An officer answered. Mental capacity had officially hit empty it seemed. His men knew who he was looking for so now there wasn't a doubt in Bailey's mind that putting two and two together must have become seriously hard for them all.

The Commander rubbed his face in exasperation, "Who the hell do you think I mean son? I've got Shepard now and Anderson was sent ahead of us. You keep everyone away from them. I don't care if it is the Council trying to see them you keep them away."

"Yes sir." The officer replied. Bailey looked to the body of Shepard, she was still breathing thankfully but that didn't change her condition. Her body was badly burned, bloodied and her armor was nearly destroyed beyond recognition. Whatever deity was out there needed to grant them just a little more time to allow them to get her some medical attention, she deserved a one more chance at life after everything she had done.

_Come on Shepard just hold on a little longer._


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

She Who Will Fight Death

Kasumi felt exhausted as she mindlessly ran the chain of the necklace through her hands. How much time had passed since she last slept? The thief felt her eye lids begin to close on her but the moment everything went black her eyes shot back open. She couldn't fall asleep now. There was too much to think about, too many lingering questions that she had to ask herself. The hooded woman shook the sleep from her mind as she began mindlessly pulling the chain of the necklace through the holes in the pendants.

Exhaustion was settling in like a new roommate as the thief attempted to get comfortable in the clinic chair while her hands mindlessly continued running the chain through her hands or pulling it through the holes in the pendants. Most of the Normandy squad from her time on the ship had made it to the Citadel like she had thanks to the Reapers being dead and a priority message sent from Bailey bringing them all back together with a common purpose.

Shepard.

She was alive but unconscious and in critical condition. Thanks to not being stationed on Earth as most of the others had Kasumi was the first to arrive followed by Miranda who had commandeered a ship before the final push. It was nice seeing them all alive and more or less doing well.

The members who had gone to Earth had seen nightmarish things that only the Reapers could conjure up yet as they all reunited with one another the fears and nightmares they had faced seemed to distant themselves from immediate thought. Miranda and Jack even seemed to get along better than they had before the war, they had yet to bicker with one another or cast an angry stare to the other like the thief had become accustomed to seeing.

There was only one reason Kasumi could think of that kept even the two biotic's from going at each other and that reason was their friend and leader being between life and death and the ship that held more of their friends and memories was still missing.

_I hope they are okay._ The thief let out a sigh as she thought to the friends they had already lost. Thane, Legion and Mordin had all given their lives during the war, Mordin gave his life to cure the genophage and fix what he had considered his responsibility. Kasumi had made jokes with Joker many times about the Salarian being a mad scientist but she had always enjoyed having Mordin around.

Seeing Shepard get confused by the sheer speed of speech and technical terms the Salarian doctor used was always humorous and the thief had even heard him sing a few times. She was cherishing those memories of the mad scientists and hoping he found peace in the afterlife or if he followed the reincarnation belief he was continuing where he had left off in making the galaxy a better place.

Thane had died after the Cerberus coup thanks to Lieutenant Bastard Kai Leng as Garrus had so accurately called him, they had all known his time was going to be short thanks to Kepral Syndrome yet they had never thought it was going to be as soon as it had ended up being.

The Assassin had given his life stopping the assassination attempt on the Salarian Councilor and though Kasumi had always felt a genuine respect for the man's skills and turning his life around as he was she felt that respect for her friend grow to further lengths. He wasn't in great condition and still he ran through war torn streets to reach Shepard and help her stop Cerberus. _I hope you met your wife at the shores of the afterlife Thane and continue to be at peace._

Losing Legion to attain peace between the Quarian's and Geth was another hard loss. Though the thief couldn't quite say she had been great friends with him she couldn't help but feel he was still a friend and comrade. Not only did she think him a friend the hooded woman also continued to refer to him as he instead of it now. He had given the Geth true intelligence at the cost of his own life yet once the war ended Kasumi couldn't help but feel that it had been a sacrifice that was wasted. The Geth had all deactivated with no sign of reactivating or any chance that they would be able to.

_Being told there was "no data available" would have been preferable to seeing them all just shut down. _Three friends had been lost, their commander was out cold and the Normandy's location was unknown. The tension was high between the gathered squad members yet even though it usually would have caused distress and bickering, it didn't. They were all coming together supporting one another to the best of their social abilities.

Grunt had given Kasumi a light tap, by Krogan standards, on the back as reassurance that everything would turn out for the better, Zaeed provided distractions through cards and drink, and Samara offered her wise words when they were needed and remained a silent yet strong pillar for the others when her words were not needed.

Even Jack offered support through Jack pep talks, the first had been for Miranda surprisingly enough when she had hit a low point in trying to fix Shepard, _"Listen up cheerleader, you're the only one in this place with the brains up in that perfect skull of yours that knows what the fuck you're doing when it comes to rebuilding Shepard. Now take a breath and stop worrying. Shepard is too stubborn to die and you'll figure out what you're missing as soon as you take off that cat suit and let the blood flow back to your brain instead of showing off your tits." _

Much to Kasumi's surprise and delight not only had the former Cerberus operative not argued with Jack but she had shown up the next day wearing a black V-neck and blue jeans. Even the tattooed biotic was surprised by the sudden change whether because they had all only seen her in spandex or because she had listened to her the thief was unsure.

The pair had either moved past their differences for the moment or the former Cerberus operative just couldn't take the constant jabs at her attire anymore. The first was the most likely since Miranda didn't really give a damn when it came to others opinions on her attire, especially Jacks opinion. It was still up in the air how long this change would last once Shepard was awake.

Kasumi had a feeling their commander would be proud of their support for one another in their time of worry for her and the ship they had all called home during the suicide mission. Their worry could have been off the charts had it not been for a short transmission from EDI after the Crucible fired that said they were okay and had begun their trek back to Earth. It had eased a lot of tension and she had also given them information on how to reactivate the Geth they found but that was it.

Her information was the only reason Legions sacrifice was not in vain but the only problem was that there hadn't been anything since the original transmission and it had been long enough to worry. Communications were still messed up, so many comm buoys destroyed it was a miracle that EDI had gotten anything through let alone Bailey getting his message out. How EDI had survived the Crucible firing Kasumi wasn't sure but for now she was just glad that she was okay. The comm specialist named Samantha Traynor and Tali were on board which meant they probably had been the brains behind it all.

A smile formed on the thief's lips as she thought back to her time on the Normandy when EDI was just a disembodied voice with a chess piece hologram. She had never thought EDI would have gained a body nor did she ever think that she would consider her more than just a program but here she was worrying about her.

Life was just full of surprises and so was EDI. Not only had she gained a sense of humanity but she was funny and she and Joker had become a couple. _He was probably shattered if EDI had been shut off like the Geth…shattered was a poor word to use there._

With all the people on the Citadel and all the species around the galaxy working together right now they were getting a lot of tech back online, including the graybox of Keiji's. The thief had managed to get it working again but…Kasumi looked down at the new object in her hands that was taking place of the graybox. Ever since getting it working, no ever since the final talk with Shepard she hadn't allowed herself to look at the memories.

Why?

She wasn't sure.

It was one of the many questions she was asking herself. For now the thief was just focused on the recovery of the squad's commander and finding the Normandy. Until both situations were worked out she would leave it to all the group work of the other species to get the relays and other tech working.

Seeing them all working together was such a surprise since months before the Krogan's would have killed any Turian or Salarian instead of helping them and the Batarian's would have tried to drop another asteroid on another human colony before thinking of taking back Earth. Actually they would have dropped an asteroid on Earth to help the Reapers before considering helping only a few months ago. This turn of events was a surprise yet not a bad one and one that Kasumi hoped lasted.

All of the efforts her best friend had put into forming the alliances deserved to last and not fall apart at the seams despite…Kasumi glanced up but then diverted her eyes, well for now they all had to keep it from bursting otherwise…the hooded woman really didn't want to think about what would happen if everything fell apart.

One war was enough.

Kasumi looked back up at the bed in front of her where the body of the woman she was thinking of was lying. Tubes were in different parts of her body pumping fluids into her while bandages covered her arms, upper body and the top of her head. The N7s face had been burned badly when she had first seen her but the doctors had been working hard since then and with the new routine guards no one was getting in the way.

Shepard's squad had taken over guard duty for the C-Sec officers without much coercion or much argument but then again when you have Grunt _"telling"_ you you're dismissed you tend to listen. It wasn't that they all didn't trust Bailey or his top guys it had to do with the situation being about Shepard. She was their leader, their Commander, and their friend who had done so much for them before taking out the Reapers. Now it was their responsibility and duty to watch after her just as she would them.

Things were better this way anyway with Miranda becoming Shepard's chief medical officer with bodyguards that only a stupid looter or crazed Cerberus member would try to fight right now. Their commander was going to be safe no matter what and that was what mattered to the thief. Kasumi wanted Shepard safe, she deserved that much after all she had done and it was all the hooded woman could provide…for now at least.

Another sliver of good news was that Anderson had been pulling through as well; he was one tough son of a bitch by all standards. People were generous enough to donate the blood he was in such a dire need for and now he was on the long road of recovering and, if Kasumi had to guess, retirement. Had Bailey and his men taken another hour or more to find them it was likely that he wouldn't be in the lucky situation he was in.

Anderson, like Shepard, didn't know the word quit and thanks to his own doctor and fighting spirit he was likely going to pull through. Miranda wanted to help him as well but she was up to her neck with work on Shepard and trying to heal her injuries. The original doctors had made sure she didn't actually die again but now it was up to the former Cerberus operative to once again repair their friend while the rest of the squad rotated on guard duty.

Grunt and Zaeed had just rotated their watch with Samara and Jack though to say they were being literal guards was an overstatement. They were all here for Shepard that was true but while they were guarding her they were really just watching for their friend's recovery.

Whenever she would wake up their plan was to spread the news amongst the crew as quickly and quietly as possible. The squad had made sure to inform Grunt he was not allowed to yell her name until there wasn't any medical officers around who would then spread the news across the Citadel.

Being as impatient as she was right now Kasumi was keeping a closer guard so she would be the first to speak to their friend. After that she would be able to tell the others that Shepard had pulled through…That she hadn't broken her promise on not letting death take her so easily.

The thief was supposed to be on a break herself but she couldn't stand the idea of not being by the N7s side when she woke. She needed to see Shepard open her eyes and have that lovely lopsided smile that was usually a preamble to a joke.

Kasumi stood up from her seat and rested her gloved fingers on her best friend's hand. _You have a promise to keep Shep and you don't break your promises. _The thief ran her hand slow up the commander's arm._ Why can't you just wake up and say a stupid joke? You can't just go and die on us all, not now. We aren't ready for you to leave yet…I'm not ready for you to leave yet._

There was no change in her condition even though the hooded woman wished that her thoughts would have willed the commander awake. She sighed again as she sat back down. The N7 was stable at least, it wasn't what she wanted but for now it was an okay compromise. Shepard hadn't given up yet, she was still fighting. Kasumi smirked slightly, _Of course she is. Shep didn't give the Reapers an easy fight why would she give death an easy job._ Now it was back to being the night watch; or at least that was her planned alibi if someone would question her.

Each night since she arrived Kasumi sat watching and waiting for any change in Shepard's condition and each night the thief cursed herself a thousand times for not being by her friends side for the final battle.

She should have been there fighting alongside her.

"_Oh no you're not dragging me with you on another suicide mission."_ Kasumi shook her head at the reminder of her dismissal of joining Shepard,_ I am so stupid. I should have joined on instead of working on the damn Crucible. _Memories of her time on the Normandy played through the thief's mind, sneaking around the Normandy, sharing drinks with Shepard while they had witty remark battles or catching up the commander on the latest gossip she had…Grunt puking all over the Hammerhead because of Shepard's driving. All her memories of the SR-2 were great memories that brought about smiles and laughter any time she would reminisce about them. Yet she told her friend there was no way she was going on the Normandy.

_I liked being on the Normandy, I liked being dragged into the situations that always seemed to follow Shepard where we went…_ Kasumi looked up to the unconscious woman, _I liked being with Shepard. Making her laugh and blush…and smile._ The thief forced the thoughts from her mind not wanting to think like she had lost all her chances of seeing her friend smile. _There will be time for those thoughts when she is awake, Shep isn't dead yet._

When the thief had gotten her first glimpse of the N7 it had hurt. Seeing Shepard as she was, the damage of everything she had gone through from the final push to the end stung badly. The normally strong battle hardened warrior stuck inside a hospital bandaged barely clinging to life…it felt like she was about to lose Keiji all over again. All the pain of how bad losing him felt swarmed through her body once again taking her breath from her forcing her to sit down for the first time in what felt like years.

Her best friend was going to die and she had shot down her idea of joining her squad again without even a second thought. They had barely spoke during the war exception of the party and going to the combat arena where they had spent more than a few hours over a few days fighting side by side with their other friends and a few just together.

After that she had told her goodbye before the final push and now here they were with Shepard looking like death and guilt sewing itself into Kasumi's heart. The thief had wondered countless times if she had been there if maybe Shepard would have fared better. If by any chance she could have made it with her through the beam and done something better to help her.

Kasumi clenched the necklace in her hand and brought it to her chest as she hugged herself to try to ease the pain that was beginning to form in her heart. She could feel tears almost welling up in her eyes, could she have stopped her friend from feeling so much pain in her last moments? Maybe, maybe not but she could have at least been there for her as a friend…She could have been a better friend. The type Shepard credited her for being but she had been selfish and the N7 had almost lost her life.

Maybe nothing would have changed if she had joined but the thief was stuck with the thought that maybe just maybe she could have made a bigger difference in Shepard's final fight. Kasumi shook her head in an attempt to fight back the emotions that were overcoming her, guilt being at the top and sadness right under it.

There were too many thoughts going through her head for her to comprehend, too many feelings that she wasn't sure what to do with. Well to be fair she couldn't do anything with them at the moment seeing as the one person she could converse them with was out cold.

Instead she unclenched her hands and looked down to the N7 dog tags that Bailey had given her. Maybe it was fates sense of humor that she was the one to receive them with all the thoughts she had or it was because she was the first to reach the Citadel when the message had reached them all.

* * *

"_Here." Bailey handed her the dog tags, "I'm going to stall the Council and all the paparazzi as best I can. If anyone should give them to her it should be someone who she fought beside." The veteran said. The chain and tags created a small silver ball in her hand while also feeling like they weighed the same amount as Grunt did. _

_It was like the very essence of Shepard's soul had just been put in her hands and maybe it had. These tags were the only thing that hadn't been damaged on the red head despite her armor and body getting beaten down badly. No scratches or burns marked the tags, this meant they either got away lucky, divine intervention of a weird kind or the spirit of the woman laid within the tags now until her body recovered. _

_The thief felt ridiculous for considering it anything but luck yet when Shepard was involved you had to expect the unexpected. "Thanks Bailey. She'll probably want to see you when she wakes up to thank you. She has a habit of doing that no matter how bad her injuries are." Kasumi said as she clenched the tags tightly in her hand. She could feel her own heartbeat beating hard in her chest but the tags themselves felt like they had a heartbeat. _

_Another ridiculous idea considered except this one Kasumi let go as Bailey chuckled, "Yeah that sounds like Shepard alright. We'll keep all the dignitaries and reporters away as best we can." The C-Sec Commander's smile disappeared as a troubled look crossed his features, Kasumi didn't like the look one bit. She knew Shepard was in a bad way but that look didn't bolster any confidence. "…I don't know who she meant but her words to me before losing consciousness were for me to find a woman and tell her that she loved her." _

_Bailey let out a tired sigh as he rubbed the back of his neck; he looked like he could collapse from fatigue at any moment. "I don't know if that means anything to you but if she doesn't wake up soon I'd be thankful if you could tell that person for me." The man shrugged helplessly, "I hate being the messenger."_

_Kasumi's heart had gone from beating hard in her chest to jumping into her throat as the veteran C-Sec commander spoke. That was the last piece of evidence she needed to make a conclusion she had been trying to make since her final talk with her own commander._

_The thief knew Shepard had no significant other, she and Kasumi had spoken about it back on the Citadel after the clone. It was mostly jokes from the hooded woman telling Shepard that she needed to get laid with the red head firing jokes right back but the conversation had gotten serious after that. Shepard loved her friends but she hadn't found someone that she wanted to spend her time with intimately yet. _

_Now that Kasumi thought about she noticed something then in Shepard's body language that made her believe she had been lying but she never considered…__**maybe I should have thought about it more since Shep found me looking through her underwear.**__ The thief managed to keep her cool on the outside as she said "I'll make sure she finds out."_

* * *

Their goodbye before her final push had given the thief very brief glimpses of emotions and feelings she hadn't realized her friend had. Looking back at their time on the Silversun Strip at the combat arena and in her apartment Kasumi felt stupid for not reading between the lines while they were still talking.

Hindsight was always in twenty/twenty.

Everything she had noticed in the very brief moment before the red head had signed off and then some of the flirty remarks her friend had made should have made those feelings completely obvious but the hooded woman had been utterly oblivious. Being plugged into the graybox had made her oblivious to those living around her.

"_Keiji wouldn't want you spending all your time plugged into that."_ Kasumi sighed knowing that had been the first hint to catch. Shepard had always steered her away from being completely consumed by it back on the Normandy but after she turned herself in the thief found herself spending more and more time with it. She had discarded what the red head had said like she was just trying to get her to leave it but now she knew there had been more to it.

_Of course you were right Shep and I didn't listen. I didn't see that all my friends were still alive…that you were still right there in front of me wishing for me to catch a hint. Hoping I would unplug for one moment to realize you were there. _

Shepard being Shepard though wouldn't force anything upon Kasumi; she wouldn't come out and say it while the thief was still feeling sentimental. The N7 wouldn't want her to think she was just trying to make her feel better or replace Keiji. The woman would want her to realize that she felt the way she did because of the evolution of their friendship and the feelings she had.

A pang of sorrow for Shepard reverberated through the hooded woman only because knowing her friend the way she did she knew that in that final talk they had the red head had so much she wanted to say but didn't. She would have laid her heart out for Kasumi to see if she believed that things would have gone well, if she didn't think she would die.

_I'm sorry Shep. You probably were holding onto that feeling for a long time and I just didn't notice and then I didn't come with you on the Normandy…I don't know how I would have reacted then but now…_ The thief looked at the tags again, _Now I understand, now I still…we still have a chance to talk._ Kasumi looked up to Shepard who was still out cold, "As long as you keep your promise."

Kasumi untangled the chain and looked at the tags until she finally made her decision. She took her hood off and put the necklace around her neck, her long black hair was still in its ponytail to stop it from coming out of her hood but for now she wasn't ready to leave the hood off.

The thief brought her hood back up covering her face once again but now she looked down to the new weight around her neck. She grabbed the N7 tag in her fingers and looked at it as she rubbed her gloved fingers on it tracing the N and 7. The heartbeat of the tags was her own that she was feeling as she touched what was like the essence of her best friend. _And now I'm stealing it._

A smile crept to her face, _She was right again. Now I won't be alone…It'll hold me over until we can talk._ The hooded woman rested herself back into her chair and pulled her blanket up to her waist, _well I've got news for you Shep, you will never be alone now that you have this thief shadowing you…_As triumphant as the moment felt the steady electronic heartbeat reminded the thief that for now that plan was contingent on one thing. _As long as you keep your promise._

Sleep finally took hold of her.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Moving Forward, Together

It had been a week since Kasumi had put Shepard's tags on and there was progress in her recovery…just not as much as she wished. Miranda and her team of doctors were able to heal much of the burns and wounds the N7 had on her upper body and arms letting them take most of the bandages off. The only ones that remained were on her head and around her stomach, which was the last Kasumi had seen from her recovery all thanks to not waking up early enough.

Miranda had found her asleep in the room and made sure she understood that if she was going to watch over Shepard she was going to get her sleep like everyone else otherwise, _"If you don't get your sleep like everyone else I am going to put you under with a sedative until Shepard does wake up. Am I clear?"_

That was not in the slightest an appealing thought and a threat that the thief took to heart. _I'd rather see Shepard when she wakes up not be forced under and awaken when she is medically cleared to leave the hospital. _She fought back the shudder at the thought of being forced to sleep while her friend was awake and recovering.

_That's a nightmare in of itself._

So she left and managed to sneak the tags under her collar before the former Cerberus operative saw them. Since then she had spent time with the crew when they weren't on guard duty or when they were. She delivered lunches and night snacks for them when she wasn't on duty herself and when she wanted to find out if there were any improvements.

Miranda was doing her best to take care of both Shepard and make sure that Kasumi wasn't sneaking in late at night when she was supposed to be getting her rest. The former Cerberus operative had installed motion sensors in the room that could sense the thief even when she was cloaked. _She really went all out to make sure she knows when Shep wakes up and to know when I am in there. _The thief smiled slightly, _though she seems to have forgotten who I am. I can trick those sensors with one of my programs._

As long she didn't get caught breaking the rule there wouldn't be a sudden metaphoric barrier between her and the room. She managed to get some sleep and help out some of the survivors of the war that had been on the Citadel without them knowing but there was still no new word on the Normandy crew. _Maybe they're taking their time and can't divert time to sending me a message. _The thief sighed. The thought was nice but did little to ease her worry.

If something happened to them and Shepard woke up she knew the redhead would never forgive herself. _Survivor's guilt would be an understatement on how Shep would feel._

The metaphoric barrier did not hold Kasumi back this night though; with her usual tricks of the trade she tricked the sensors and found herself sitting right next to the sky blue eyed commander. At the moment she was working on sending the Normandy a message. Waiting for them to finally send a message after their first transmission was taking too long and worry had spread through the crew.

Though no one spoke their feelings on the situation their eyes all held the same worry for the ship and her crew. They were all still managing to keep one another supported and Zaeed's cards and drinks had done great for most of the crew allowing them to forget for a moment about their worries. Miranda was still dressing in casual clothes instead of her cat suit and had even spoken to Jack about Shepard's amp discussing the technology the tattooed biotic had heard about at Grissom Academy.

Apparently the amp their commander had used fried from an overexertion of power and she was in need of a new one that matched the specs the original had. The original was something special the former Cerberus operative had given the sentinel during their time on the SR-2 but what was special about them Kasumi did not know. Once the biotic amp talk started she tuned out and found herself thinking more about the strangeness of the pair working together and wondering when Shepard would wake up.

_Well at least Miranda and Jack are getting along. _A slight smile made its way to her face, _I wonder if they are finally taking into consideration the pent up emotion between the two like Shep said. There still is a market for it. _She stifled her laugh as she finally finished her message and began proof reading it.

_Joker, EDI are you all okay? It has been a worrisome amount of time since your first and last transmission and I can't shake the bad feeling I have. I know the flight back is probably very difficult but please send us a message so we know you aren't all stranded or dead. I don't know if you guys heard the news when you transmitted last but Anderson and Shepard are alive. Anderson is pulling through and is becoming responsive; no signs of mental damage other than wanting to get out of the bed. Is that a soldier thing? To want to get out of the hospital before you are ready? I don't know but as for Shepard…_

Kasumi looked up at Shepard; her vitals were the same as they had been but still no sign of movement from her. She let out a sigh.

_Shepard is doing okay. She hasn't woken up yet and the injuries she had are healing really well, Miranda believes she should become responsive soon but until then she is doing her best to heal the remaining injuries and getting her a new biotic amp. Her amp fried from overexertion or something like that. They tried to explain the technical terms to me but I spaced out. From what I heard before that Miranda, Jack and Samara have concluded that she probably had shielded herself inside a biotic cocoon whether intentionally or unconsciously and the amount of strain it put on the amp along with the explosions fried it. They're looking into getting her a new one now, oh by the way you owe me a hundred credits from a previous bet. It wasn't a cold day in hell when Jack and Miranda actually worked together without bickering or ripping each other to shreds so you owe me that. But Shep is okay so make sure you spread the word amongst the crew. Send me back a message soon, if you need help we'll send ships to you. We won't leave you abandoned out there. Please let us know you are okay._

_Kasumi_

Kasumi sent out the message and then shut her omni-tool down, she still felt uneasy but at least she had sent a message. She grabbed the N7 dog tags in her unease; _They'll be okay, probably just taking the long way to make so dramatic entrance. That's what Joker does, he'll make us all wait so we get worried and then when he shows up he'll remind us he is the best Flight Lieutenant._ The thief sighed inwardly, she wished it to be true but that didn't make it so. Until they sent a message back or arrived on the Citadel she wouldn't stop worrying.

The whole squad was worrying about them, they didn't know all of the Normandy squad anymore but Joker, EDI, Chakwas, Donnelly, Daniels, Garrus, and Tali were on the ship still and they knew them. They had already lost Thane, Legion, and Mordin from the original group and none of them wanted to lose more friends…_Shep can't lose more friends now either. To lose more would just add insult to injury at the end of this forsaken war._

Each one of them shared a bond with the others that could only have been forged in the fires of battle and a suicide mission. To have that bond severed three times was hard enough.

To lose more?

With a shake of her head the thief let the thoughts leave her, _They are okay, I know it._ She laid her head down on the bed next to Shepard's hand, _I can't fall asleep in here again or let Miranda catch me otherwise she'll sedate me. I'll just rest in here for a little while and leave before she wakes up. _

The steady beat of the EKG machine was a bit hypnotizing as she shut her eyes and listened to the electronic heartbeat. _Her real heartbeat probably sounds a lot better than that,_ Kasumi mused, _the beeping doesn't do her heart justice. The gentle ba-dum it makes would be more hypnotizing._ She imagined herself resting her head on Shepard's chest laying and listening to it while Shepar-

_Wait wait wait. Stop imagining these things, now is not the time._ She shouldn't have been thinking about having her head resting on Shepard's chest or anything like that right now. They were just friends the last they spoke and if the woman had memory loss of any sort it would only sting more. It was always a possibility that her feelings could change from the damage she was dealt making those thoughts be a momentary fantasy. If they did imagining these things now would only serve as more pain later.

Her hand found its way to the N7 dog tags as she let her fingers rub it, _Don't grow to attached to an idea Kasumi, if she can't remember those feelings or her near death experience changed her it'll just hurt more…_She sighed_, She'll be okay. It's Shep after all; she's always come out on top no matter the odds._ The steady beat of Shepard's machine filled Kasumi's ears as she relaxed her head on the bed.

For minutes she remained still as she let the electronic beep fill her thoughts and bring her closer to a hypnotizing sleep. _If I remain like this much longer my neck is going to be severely cramped and then Miranda will sedate me._

Kasumi felt slight movement on the bed but she disregarded it since she had reluctantly begun to move at the same time. It wasn't until she felt a shaky hand touch the back of her head where her hood covered that she froze. Had she fallen asleep? Was she dreaming this? It was a possibility. She wanted Shepard to be up but there was no way.

"Kas- Kasumi?" Shepard's raspy voice asked. Her heart began to race; _this has to be a dream. _She squeezed her eyes shut and then opened them again but the weight on the back of her head was still there. "Hey ar- are you asleep? Kasumi wak- wake up." She pinched her leg next but everything remained the same. _Okay deep breath Kasumi. _The thief inhaled a deep breath then began to raise her head slowly, as she made eye contact with the sky blue eyed Commander she felt her heart swell with joy. _She's finally awake…but that means Miranda won't be far behind with that sensor on the bed tracking if Shep moved at all._

She stood up still not able to articulate the words of her happiness to her friend, Shepard looked at her with a sedated gaze as Kasumi looked at her with a smile pulling at her lips. "Am I dead?" The woman asked her voice still raspy.

Lack of use was likely the cause but it was still her Shep. The same eyes with life behind them stared back at her searching her eyes for hints at anything from her original question to the feelings deep within the thief. Had they won? What was the cost? Was she okay? All those questions Kasumi could read in her look but each would wait for now as she leaned over the bed and wrapped her Shep in a gentle hug.

Feeling the physical form of the woman, the warmth of her skin and her chest rising and falling with each breath reassured her that this was not a dream. _Shep you're okay. _Tears began to form in her eyes, _she is okay, she really is okay._ "You kept your promise." The thief whispered as tears of joy began to slowly stream down her face.

All the days and hours since seeing the commander look like hell to now Kasumi had found herself worrying for the health of her friend. She had believed she was going to lose her just as she lost Keiji just instead of on a heist it would be in a dreadful hospital bed.

She whispered the words she spoke to herself a few more times like a mantra until she felt a gentle but shaky hand rub her back "You know me, I always keep my promises." Shepard whispered back. Kasumi knew that was true but it hadn't stopped her from thinking the worse at her worst moments. The thief let go of her friend and backed up a little so she could look at the woman again.

Her sky blue eyes once again searched the tear filled eyes of the hooded woman; even with the bandages around her head she still had the striking facial features and piercing sky blue eyes. Deep under the sedated look she had was her caring and joyful personality ready to burst through all the tiredness and get things back to normal. _At least the war didn't take that from her. Still you can see the lack of sleep she had on the Normandy and the stress the war had caused._ "Did we win?" Shepard asked.

Kasumi nodded slightly, yes they had won and it was all because of her. She won the war of all wars and to top it off she won the battle against death and was here in front of the thief alive and mostly well. She wiped the tears from her eyes gripping her emotions once more, "Yes. Whatever you did destroyed all the Reapers and all the abominations they created. The Geth deactivated as well." The thief saw sadness grip Shepard's sedated features before she was able to finish her summary of the end of the war. "But we've been able to reactivate them and as far as I know EDI is okay as well."

Hope and happiness took hold of the commander's features as thousands of questions began to bounce around her mind behind her eyes. _At least she doesn't have to catch up on two years again, just the end of the war._ Kasumi couldn't imagine how hard waking up two years later had to be on her friend the first time let alone fifty thousand years like the Prothean that had fought alongside her. "I don't know about the rest of the Normandy though. We haven't heard anything since her original transmission but I sent them a message a little while ago. Anderson is alive, the Illusive Man not so much." Relief colored Shepard's face hearing that not only had the Geth and EDI been reactivated but Anderson was alive as well.

Shepard looked to have a lot of questions but she suddenly stopped herself from asking as she brought her hand up slowly to her dog tags hanging in front of Kasumi's chest. "I was uh… keeping them for safe keeping?" The commander began to smile with a raised eyebrow at her statement. _Well that was a terrible defense by questioning my reasoning. I need to recover._ "Didn't want Grunt misplacing them or-" She was interrupted as the tired smile turned into a playful one. _She probably thinks I'm stealing them because I thought the worse. _"I'm not stealing them; I was going to give them back once you were okay." Kasumi quickly assured.

The smile did not disappear as Shepard let her hand drop, "Is that what you're doing?" Her friends tone was as playful as the look on her face, "Getting a little defensive aren't you? Worried about something I don't know about?"

Was she getting defensive? She didn't want to be, was she sending the wrong message?

_I need to recollect my thoughts and start over. _Kasumi took a deep breath as she sat down, "I don't mean to sound defensive. I've been thinking too much lately with no one to talk to." There wasn't anyone she could talk to about what she was feeling, until now that was.

The redhead nodded understandingly as her features returned to their neutral mode, "I understand that. Are you okay?" She asked.

"Yeah, now that your finally done taking a break." The thief responded with a smile.

The woman gave a small laugh trying not to incite any of her injuries happiness spread into her eyes. "Well I'm sorry for taking a breather. I forgot how impatient you could be. If you'll forgive me I will lend you my time to talk about what it is that is on your mind." She said with humor in her tone.

"That is really nice of you to do Shep. I may forgive you now."

She smiled a bright smile, "Oh Kasumi you are such a forgiving person to allow me to make my taking a break up to you. But if Miranda is in control of my recovery then you can bet we won't have much time to talk." Shepard said in a good hearted way. Kasumi allowed herself to laugh for what felt like the first time in decades.

Shep was back.

Unfortunately the redhead was right about Miranda. Her being right hadn't seemed to change in the slightest yet. It was really only a matter of time before the cat suit wearing operative made her way into the room. _Not much time to clear the air then_.

How was she even supposed to start a conversation about it though? _Hey I've been wondering if you really have feelings for me._ That didn't seem like a good idea. "So my dear friend what is it that has kept you up late these nights? Pondering what casino to rob next?" Shepard asked with a smile on her face.

The banter was fun and the thief didn't want it to end but she needed to know if what she believed to be true really was and if it was what they were going to do about it. "Shep…back when we last spoke." Kasumi stopped herself. She bit her bottom lip, _how do I go about asking? Wait she just woke up I shouldn't be asking something like this._ "…Never mind." She mumbled.

Shepard raised an eyebrow in question before understanding of what she was about to ask crossed her features. Her battle quip mode disappeared as her caring side shone through while she began readjusting herself so she could face Kasumi better. Her voice lost its raspyness and was replaced by a more sensitive tone, one that made the thief's heart race. "Kasumi when I was between life and death I made myself a promise. I promised that if I was given one more chance at life that I would no longer hide what I felt from who I felt it for…"

She paused and had the same look Kasumi had when she stopped herself from continuing. The redhead was contemplating between finishing what she was going to say or waiting until later leaving the thief nearly on the edge of her seat wondering what the next words were going to be. Determination set in her friends brow as she came to her decision, "When Bailey found me I didn't think I was going to have that chance so I asked him for me, he may not have known it but…he gave that message to the person it was intended for."

Shepard leaned forward and gently grabbed her tags as she examined them for a moment, "You have my tags which meant he gave them to you and likely the message I wanted given, right?"

Kasumi nodded but she felt nervous as this revelation was coming, she had already concluded the message was intended for her as well as Shepard having feelings for her but now that they were confronting it…she was so nervous it was all just a dream or if she was just kidding herself…Hearing Shepard talk eased her nerves slightly as well as sent shivers down her spine. She could feel the feelings radiating off of the woman as her own began to make themselves known in her own heart.

This was really real. She wasn't sure if that made her excited or if that made her more nervous. "What was the message he gave?" The commander smiled humorously, "I know he probably shortened it since he hates being a messenger." Kasumi smiled slightly to herself but the nervousness she was feeling was taking over her body.

It was just as it had been when the redhead said that thief was going to have to take her to dinner if she was going to make her get dressed up. She hadn't known why she had blushed then of all times but now it was becoming clearer by the thumping of her heart and stirrings she was beginning to feel for the bruised beauty in front of her.

After all the jokes Shepard had made saying that Kasumi would have to take her to dinner finally made her blush as well as made the heat rise in her chest and face while her legs felt weak. She hadn't really paid attention to it but now she realized that she felt that way because she wanted to see Shepard all dressed up again.

She wanted to take her to dinner or do something like that with her for the fun and bonus of seeing the battle queen out of her battle armor. _It goes without saying that Shep is gorgeous, hell I saw it when I first boarded the Normandy._ Despite finding her attractive she hadn't felt any romantic feelings for her. She hadn't thought she'd ever feel as she was now for another woman her preferences always tending to be towards men and Jacobs abs. _Shepard has abs too you know_, Kasumi mused to herself.

Abs wasn't the be all end all of what she rated beauty on, if it had been she would have done more than watch Jacob and the things she would have done to Vega. The thief smiled mentally at her own musing. The abs were just a bonus, personality came first for her and Shepard had always had one and her sky blue eyes were beyond gorgeous. She felt stupid for realizing some of this right now, _I still remember the first time I saw Shep in just a bra and shorts and boy oh boy her body was great._

She had accidently walked in on the woman getting dressed after her shower and the thief had let her eyes linger longer than she probably should have then. She had traced the warrior's body up and down with her eyes.

Why?

Kasumi really wasn't sure then, art appreciation maybe? Even still she kept her eyes on Shepard's sky blue ones then…after lingering everywhere else first. Abs, toned muscles in her back, arms and chest but she still had a very feminine structure…and her breasts. The thief blushed visibly which probably looked stupid since her friend was asking a serious question. They were about the same size as her own if not they were just slightly smaller but that was totally okay to Kasumi, they still looked perfect.

This train of thought wasn't getting her anywhere other than making her feel a little hot under her hood, _why am I imagining Shep's body now of all times when we are in a serious conversation. _She needed to focus, _Okay her question was what Bailey had told me_, Kasumi reminded herself, _just stay on track and stop thinking this until we see where this conversation goes._ What had Bailey told her anyway? The thief began racking her memory for what he had said, it was important but the thoughts of Shepard's body had scrambled Kasumi's brain.

She had never thought so much about Shepard's body before because she had only seen her as her best friend, sure she was gorgeous but it was _Shep. _Not to mention she had herself plugged into the graybox when she didn't spend time with the redhead and back then things had been different. Shepard hadn't had these feelings for her, yes Kasumi had been oblivious to it during their last meetings but she knew where their friendship had stood on the SR-2.

Maybe she had just been so fascinated by seeing Shepard without her armor then, or it had just been art appreciation and nothing more. She was definitely an exemplar of female beauty.

It didn't matter now the reasons for her ogling back then, now she knew where their friendship had evolved and they were going to figure out where it left them. Kasumi finally remembered what Bailey said and the words brought her out of her fascination of Shepard's bare skin and back into how serious her feelings were.

Thankfully not much time passed during her mental ogling. "You told him that he was to tell a woman you loved her." She repeated. Shepard smiled as she nodded and waited for the thief to catch on. It didn't take a second longer. "…That you loved me." She said her tone was slightly shocked because she was.

She repeated the words through her mind multiple times and still she couldn't grasp them. _She loves me? Like really loves me? I knew she loved me as a friend but…was I really so blind?_ "…You really love me Shep?" Kasumi repeated her question out loud.

Shepard's smile remained as she nodded again. This was…This was news. _I knew she had feelings for me I just didn't think it was this much. I thought maybe she was just admiring my mysteriousness and body but she really is in love._ Shivers made their way down her spine again, she had never felt so vulnerable under Shepard's eyes or felt so bad for missing out on what her friend was feeling. _She loved me and I basically ran away, _Kasumi sighed inwardly, _yet she's still here, still wanting me regardless of how ignorant I was. She's going for my weak spot… _

_Sappy romance stories._

It would have been a funny jest to throw at Shepard but the thief didn't think now was the time for it. She began to wonder again if this was just some twisted dream toying with her making her believe that the redhead really felt this way and making her realize her own feelings just to shoot her down later.

She wanted to believe this was all real and for now it was all that mattered. "I do Kasumi. I always have as a friend but…when I saw you again on the Citadel in the casino I knew it had grown long past that." Shepard explained.

The bruised beauty had a nostalgic faraway look in her eyes, "Seeing you again…having you fight by my side in the combat simulator made me realize the feelings I held for you." She shook her head slowly breaking the spell she was under, "I'm sorry I shouldn't be springing this on you right now…I don't want you to feel awkward. Let's talk about something else so I don't scare you off after just waking up. That conversation is too sudden, weird and sounds waaay to much like one of those sappy love stories I caught you reading on the Normandy."

While she wished to defend her love stories the thief knew that's what her friend was planning. _She is right, this is sudden, weird and definitely like those sappy romance novels I read on the SR-2…but I don't care. I like sappy love stories. Wait did she say the combat simulator was when she realized the feelings she had? _"…You were checking me out during the combat simulator?"

The commander looked caught off guard by the question and looked like she was about to start back peddling but Kasumi was faster, "We had Cerberus after us with no medi-gel and you were checking me out? Is that why you got shot?" The thief asked in a bit of astonishment. It took only a few moments but soon Shepard's lopsided grin made its way to her face before she began to laugh.

She would have laughed hysterically if she could but the sudden pain she felt stopped her. "Yeah I'll admit I was a bit…distracted." Shepard replied sheepishly. She shrugged, "But you can only blame yourself for wearing such a…nice outfit."

Kasumi felt accomplished and was smiling mentally; she had managed to distract Shepard just by being near her. _Maybe it is a good thing I didn't join her, _the thief mused, _she would have been shot more than usual and I wouldn't have known why._

It wasn't like she could change the style of her outfit though, it was meant to be light and stealthy not bulky like Shepard's armor. The outfit was styled so she could sneak around without getting shot instead of going in ready to get shot. _I had to make a few adjustments for the suicide mission by adding more padding but still what I wear isn't meant for going head to head with an army of Krogan's._

"Hey! This." The thief motioned to her outfit, "Is meant for stealth missions not to strut around in. You were the one who turned it into a suicide mission, army killing armor." She retorted.

_I wouldn't have had it any other way though_. _The odds of the mission weren't great but meeting Shep and the others was worth the extra weight of armor._

Shepard and Kasumi both chuckled at her outburst, "Maybe but it was for all the best reasons. I needed the best thief in the galaxy on my squad for her abilities with tech…or at least that was the reason at first afterwards it was because she was a great friend."

_Great friend,_ her lips formed a frown, _she always referred to me as that even though I didn't join her. I wasn't a great friend, Garrus and Tali were great friends and worthy of the title, me? I shouldn't even be allowed to entertain this conversation. _"I'm sorry Shep." Kasumi apologized.

She felt like she had let Shepard down as a friend, she wasn't there when she needed her most.

When she had wanted her most.

Kasumi had told her no but then had reluctantly joined her war effort after a bit of coercing. In the end she still didn't stand by her side, what kind of friend was she? "I wasn't there for you when you needed and wanted me…I turned you down without second thought proving that I wasn't worthy of your constant reference as being your best friend. I wasn't there for you and I'm sorry."

She lowered her head, _what I did wasn't right_. _Shep never asked anything of me throughout our whole friendship except for trust and loyalty while I asked for help. And the moment she asked for help I turned her request down and then reluctantly joined on. I turned her down without even thinking about it, like I held some resentment towards her for bringing me around the galaxy and befriending me. _

All Shepard wanted was for another friend to stand by her side, to fight alongside her during a war for all their lives. If she had died the thief would have always regretted telling her no for as long as she lived.

Fingers brushed gently across Kasumi's cheek making her gasp a bit in shock as she looked up to the sky blue eyes peering into her soul and filling her with comfort, "No sorrys." Shepard spoke. _What does she mean no sorrys? I should be on my knees begging for forgiveness for denying her the one time she asked for me to stand by her side. I wasn't the only one who didn't fight by her side but I was probably the one with the most choice of where I could go._

Shepard's eyes bored into her own cutting through the shadow that the hood formed, "Kasumi you are and always will be my best friend." That hit her heart strings hard but it was just the beginning, "You were there with me, always. You were always in my thoughts keeping me going all the way to the end. You gave me the strength to finish the mission and see it through to the end, to keep my promise to you." More strums on her heart strings. "Don't torture yourself with thoughts of what could have been. I'm alive, you're alive. Let's just start there and move forward. Together."

That sounded like a great plan and one the thief would get behind. She nodded slightly in response allowing some of her guilt to leave her. She felt Shepard's hand caressing her face which gave her goosebumps as she felt heat rising to her face. Shep was touching her, _caressing her. _Kasumi knew the galaxy had gone crazy but this just cemented that thought.

It felt so damn _good_.

If this was crazy then she was happy to be insane even if it was just for a few moments. "I never thought I'd…Sorry I shouldn't be." Shepard said gently.

_The hell you shouldn't!_ The thief screamed mentally but remained silent. It was mostly shock that kept her that way as she felt the warmth of the redhead's hand touching her very hot cheek. Her cheeks felt like she could cook eggs on them and that meant she had a magnificently deep blush coating her cheeks, _what the hell is wrong with me?_ She pondered, _She never could get me like this before, well she never caressed my cheek either. _

Shepard grudgingly stopped herself and began to retract her hand but the sliver of rational thought that Kasumi had left was gone with the wind as she brought her hand to her friends. The commander looked at her in question as she kept their hands still hovering near her cheek.

She needed to feel her gentle hands on her face again; she needed to know this was real and not some dream. "Please…don't stop yet." Kasumi nearly begged. A slightly pleased look crossed Shepard's features before she nodded and began caressing her cheek again.

The thief closed her eyes as she felt like she was melting into the redhead's hand. She hadn't felt such a gentle touch in a long time. "You know." Kasumi started. "I want to see where this sappy story goes."

There was sudden stop in movement from Shepard, Kasumi smiled in victory to herself and in her loss of rational thought she brought the palm of the N7s hand to her lips and gave it a small peck. _Bold move, _She thought but then smiled again,_ but to get her speechless you have to be. _

She glanced up and saw the blush on Shepard's face, _victory achieved._ "I…er…" The commander stumbled. The thief couldn't help it as she giggled at the woman's inability to coordinate her words. _The only time you'll ever see her at a loss of words is when you make her blush, _she smiled more, _And boy does it look good on her face. _Finally getting her composure back the N7 nodded and said, "You and me both Kasumi."

Shepard stopped herself for a moment and glanced down at her stomach, Kasumi couldn't tell what the redhead was thinking but it looked like a bit of self-doubt. The only reason why she thought it was that was because it was such a weird look on a woman who never doubted herself. "Kasumi…I'll understand if you want to take things slow. I'm in no rush now that you and I are here." The woman said slowly.

_That depends on your definition of slow Shep._

Kasumi brought her hand to her wounded friend's hand that was resting on her cheek and rubbed her thumb on it bringing the woman's eyes back to her. The thief gave her a closed eyed smile, "Shep we're going to have to take it slow because you are in the hospital." She reminded.

There was a look of realization on Shepard's face as she looked at her predicament again, "Right, forgot." Kasumi giggled to herself, _Give her a war and she'll plot plans with ease, leave her in a hospital and she'll forget she is even injured._ It wasn't much of a surprise that she offered to take things slow; _of course she would be willing to wait still._ The stubborn understanding woman seemed to always put others feelings before her own and maybe it would have been necessary before to take things very slow but that was before.

The way Kasumi felt now made her wish she had unplugged from the graybox long ago to see who was still alive and waiting for her to realize it. Her smile faded momentarily as she felt another pang of guilt but before she could utter the words her friend beat her to it, "No sorrys Kasumi."

They sat like this for a few moments more before Shepard retracted her hand and rested it back on the bed. The thief not wanting to keep much distance between them rested her hand on the top of the redheads only for Shepard to turn it over and intertwine their fingers. Kasumi immediately regretted wearing gloves and not being able to feel the warmth of her bare skin intertwined with her own but that would change in the future.

"Miranda will be here soon." The thief stated. Her friend nodded in understanding. The fact Miranda had taken this long was surprising but now it really was just a matter of time. Kasumi didn't want to hide something like this from the others and she doubted Shepard did either but their commander had just woken up. The others would reunion with her tomorrow, they still had to find out where the Normandy was and then there was the physical therapy she was neglecting to tell her friend about.

_It would only ruin the mood._

The recovering commander was going to have a lot on her plate and Kasumi wasn't going to smother her. Maybe she'd come back in the night and just sit with her while she slept and watch over her as she had been. She also had to find a way to contact the Normandy and ease the tension everyone was feeling. _I just hope they send me a message soon. It would ease my worry tremendously._

"I should probably go." She mumbled to herself. The redhead quirked an eyebrow in question, "…Miranda threatened to sedate me last time she found me here early in the morning." She clarified.

Shepard chuckled at her expense, it was the same response that Chakwas would have given them both in the same situation and one the former Cerberus operative had threatened them with as well on a daily basis for causing trouble. It left a perfect opening for the apology that Kasumi had to give, "Shep I know that you don't want any apologies but I'm sorry for being so plugged into the graybox. I didn't see that you had grown to care more for me because of it and I'm sorry for that."

The woman nodded momentarily knowing that she wouldn't take "no sorrys" as an answer, her nod stopped half way though and a smile made its way to her face. It was not an ordinary smile but one that spelt jokes and flirts at the thief's expense.

Kasumi smiled regardless of what came, she was just glad her Shep was back. "You know you should probably make that up to me. Maybe take me to dinner." The N7s smile grew wider likely with what her new thought was, "Better yet we could turn the lights off at the apartment and light some candles, by the way not the fake ones either I'd want real authentic candles. Then we could have a dinner or watch a romance vid."

The thief rolled her eyes in amusement at the requests. She was actually just teasing to be fun but Kasumi had already begun hatching an idea to make up her mistakes.

Candles included.

That plan didn't stop her from giving a response to the comment, "Does taking you as my backup girl to rob a casino count? You could be my date I suppose." She responded.

That bait didn't take long to get grabbed, "You suppose?" Shepard asked with a raised eyebrow. _Hook, line and sinker, _Kasumi thought as a smirk graced her features. It was now her turn to turn the tables on the bruised beauty.

"Well only if you want to. I'd hate to make you dress up in heels and a dress again. Lord knows you complained the whole time last time. You also said I couldn't do that unless I was taking you to dinner." Kasumi reminded.

If she could have without hurting herself Shepard would have facepalmed herself, _ha, you aren't going to win this time Shep. _Victory appeared to be hers but counting the first human Spectre out was always a fatal error. "Hmm. Fine we'll make a compromise. I'll get dressed up to be your date on a casino job." She started. The thief hadn't thought she would really do it but there was a casino still full of credits on the Silversun Strip. "As long as you take me to dinner afterwards. Also in return for me getting dressed up I get to see you dressed up, otherwise no deal and no thievery."

That was a low blow.

Shepard had this game won and she knew it judging on the smirk now gracing her striking features. There was no way Kasumi was going to win this now but she had a better compromise that wouldn't require her to be without her hood in public. "Can it be rob a casino then have a dressy dinner at the apartment or just in casuals?" She asked her tone a bit uneasy.

She hadn't warmed up to the idea of being both without her hood and cloak with so many eyes staring at her. _I used to cloak through the CIC because of that guy named Burt. Being completely in public without it on and all those eyes staring at me just doesn't seem like fun. _Shepard looked at her in question again looking for why she asked. "…I'm not comfortable with my hood off around people I don't know. Too many eyes staring at me and no cloak."

Understanding how she felt about it the commander nodded in agreement, "Rob a casino then we'll have a dinner or something in casuals back at the apartment." She looked down at her predicament once more"…Well as soon as I'm out of here that is. Is that okay with you?"

Kasumi smiled and said "It's a date Shep." The words came naturally and didn't make either feel awkward at all. They both smiled more with the promise now holding them to it.

Shepard stopped smiling suddenly looking alert as if an attack was about to come. Kasumi retracted her hand from their embrace and snuck the tags back under her outfit getting a nod of acknowledgement from her friend just as the doors whisked opened and footsteps began echoing in the room. It could only be Miranda at this hour so the thief didn't bother to turn around as she greeted "Miranda. I was just watching after your patient."

"Where's the cat suit?" Shepard questioned confusion on her face.

The former Cerberus operative was wearing her black V-neck and blue jeans as she walked further into the room, "How long has she been up?" She asked ignoring the question. Kasumi hadn't paid attention to the time but Miranda needed it for clinical reasons so that meant she was really going to have to think about it.

"I think about twenty or thirty minutes. I thought you would have gotten here sooner so I didn't send a message." The thief answered. Okay that wasn't true but it was better than saying that she hadn't messaged her because they were talking about their friendship and where it was heading.

Miranda walked to Shepard's other side as she checked the machines, "Shepard, glad to see your ability to get yourself injured and nearly killed hasn't gone away." The raven haired woman said with a smile tugging at her lips. To say Miranda had changed was an understatement and that wasn't including her new attire. Never would the ice queen of old have even considered making a small jest or even think of smiling. Shepard had changed her and brought out a woman who had a softer side than the ice queen they had all met at the beginning of the suicide mission.

Shepard had a smile on her face as she nodded to Miranda, "Oh you know me Miranda if I'm not getting shot at, facing down unbelievably impossible odds or getting my ass shot off then I'm not having a good time."

She gave a short and light laugh that Kasumi would never had thought Miranda of having before she smiled at Shepard again, "I'm glad you're okay my friend." She rested her hand on the commander's shoulder gently and Shepard brought her arm up and pulled Miranda down closer to her so she could hug her.

"Just hug me you prude." Shepard said humor in her tone.

"I am not a prude." The former ice queen retorted.

"I'll believe that the moment I see you show some public display of affection with someone." The commander said as she let go. Miranda rolled her eyes at the comment which was complimented by a small smile, "So seriously, cat suit? Did it get ruined or something?"

The former Cerberus operative shook her head, "No. I just decided since I'm not out fighting hordes of mercenaries, Reapers or Collectors because of you that I would wear something more…normal I suppose."

"You look good Miri." Miranda smiled at the compliment, "Let's see; now the only one I have left to get into casual clothes is you Kasumi. Everyone else I've seen in something casual."

"What about Tali?" Kasumi questioned.

"Until she is able to not wear that mask I consider what she wears casual." Kasumi smiled and shook her head at her friend as she began to stand up and take her leave. It was nice to see Miranda without the stress that had been eating at her since she began working on Shepard, _they'll all be like this. We now have the one person who brought us all together back and the nightmares we have all worried about will be but a distant memory. Now we just have to find the Normandy._

The thief looked to the raven haired woman, "Miranda do you need me for anything? I'm going to get some sleep and then try to contact the Normandy again."

Leaving would give Miranda her space needed for working and allow the pair to talk with one another. "You can go if you want Kasumi. I'm not going to be able to run any big scans on her until everyone is actually awake." There was a sigh of relief from Shepard which only made Miranda smirk evilly, "But there are some tests I can run." The commander began to pout which made Kasumi giggle while Miranda laughed lightly, "Don't worry Shepard it won't be nothing invasive."

"That's what they always say and then I end up waking up while the facility is under attack." Miranda rolled her eyes while a smirk played at her lips, it was really great having Shepard back to make things seem like they weren't all that bad.

"Bye Miranda, bye Shep, try not to travel that much." Kasumi said with a smirk. Before Shepard could respond she was out the door. As the thief walked to the room she was staying in she touched her chest where the tags were touching.

_I'm really glad you're back Shep._


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Understanding Ones Desire

_Kasumi,_

_ I see you are still as paranoid as ever, guess that comes with the thievery you do. Sorry to worry you but we've been trying to remain as silent as possible, the Normandy has definitely seen better days. So Anderson and Shepard made it huh? That's honestly the best news we've had aside from the Reapers being gone. The whole squad is mostly uninjured; I cracked a few ribs but otherwise nothing serious here. Just have a repair team ready for the Normandy; my baby is falling apart from our abrupt landing. We were all really worried about Shepard and Anderson…we actually had a memorial service for them both, don't tell either of them that or we'll never live it down. I'm warning you Kasumi don't even think about it. Oh by the way yes as long as I've known them they have constantly been trying to get out of the med-bay. We should be arriving at the Citadel in a day or two if our luck keeps up. Is Shepard up yet? If not slap her really hard for us and see if that works…if she is up though don't tell her I said that. Hope to see you soon._

_Joker_

Kasumi smiled as she looked at the message that she had just received, they were okay aside from the Normandy being wrecked and a few injuries but there were no casualties. _Everyone is okay, injuries sure but they aren't dead or dying. With all the bad news constantly from the war it is so nice to have good news again. _

Calling it a relief to finally have heard from the sarcastic pilot was an understatement. Reading the words made it feel like someone had repaired all the damage done by the war with a wave of their hand alleviating all the aching hearts and shouldered burdens like they had never existed.

Ever since the destruction of the Reapers each day seemed to pass brightening what had become a dark galaxy. Death and destruction had been the only thing everyone had known once the Reapers showed up but now that was changing. On a personal level everyone that had boarded the Normandy save for the ones who had died trying to end this war were alive along with their Commander and friend.

On a galactic level repairs were continuing. Communications were becoming better with each day, the Geth were each slowly being reactivated on Earth and everywhere else they had been stationed for the war, and the Citadels repair was going well, for the most part. There was still a problem with the relays and getting them activated but with the Quarian's, Salarian's and the Geth working together along with all the other races a breakthrough was bound to happen soon.

For Kasumi the last few days of waiting had been mental torture. She feared what had become of the SR-2 and those aboard, she couldn't stand sitting and waiting for news. The thief wanted to be out there actively searching for them, a sentiment shared by the rest of the squad who was on the Citadel with her.

To avoid going mad from not knowing she split her time between helping the recovery effort where she could and visiting with Shepard. While her friend was more or less in the same boat of worry as she was they managed to help each other take their minds off the foreboding thoughts. They spoke about the recovery efforts, they joked with one another and had been flirting like there was no tomorrow.

"Making up for you ignoring me" as Shepard had teased. While Kasumi enjoyed seeing the beautiful redhead awake, she only spent nights with her when everyone else was asleep. During the day her Shep was preoccupied with physical therapy and their other friends who were just as glad as the thief that she was awake and okay.

The thief had been around a few times when others were visiting and bantered with them and Shepard in tandem like nothing had ever changed. They had all fallen steadily into their teasing, prodding and camaraderie with one another and Jack and Miranda were no exceptions. While they were definitely friendlier than they had ever been, once Shepard was awake they had fallen into familiar arguments that weren't all that serious.

Each conversation held between the powerful biotic's held no venom as they once had while still full cheerleader jabs from Jack and dry sarcastic wit from Miranda. They both smiled at the end of each debate or argument, happy for some familiarity in a galaxy driven to the brink of destruction. Kasumi couldn't figure out what the deal was but she would get to the bottom of it eventually.

For now she would wait to solve the mystery, their strange behavior before Shepard woke up mixed with their new banter and smiles made the N7 smile and laugh hearing the news of the former and seeing the latter personally. The thief telling her that Miranda changed her clothes _for_ Jack in front of the former Cerberus operative made her friend go into hysterical laughter at the look and threats the raven haired woman had hurled at her.

Kasumi had made a quick exit after that to avoid reprisal with Miranda's shouts following her out the door. Jack who had been on guard duty quirked an eyebrow in question so the thief explained the reasoning only to have to make a second quick exit to avoid the reprisal from both biotic's. Miranda had overheard her tell Jack and came storming out while Jack sat in a stunned silence before threatening the hooded woman.

The hysterical laughter from Shepard was delightful and totally worth it.

Curiously enough she had noticed a faint pink tint to both of their cheeks, whether that meant something or not was still up for debate. _It was probably just bubbling up anger…I'll find out eventually._

Whatever was going on could wait; right now Kasumi had news to spread. Hearing from Joker and knowing they were all okay was news she would be glad to pass onto the squad and Shepard. _We've all been so worried, Shepard especially since she woke up._ The thief thought about the woman for a moment.

Shepard was good at concealing her emotions with a smile but that smile didn't reach her eyes sometimes. She worried for her friends and the ship they were on more than Kasumi and the others could. She was the glue that held them all together but they were also the glue that held her together. There was no Normandy crew without Shepard and there was no Shepard without the Normandy crew.

_With no contact I could see it weighing on her daily. When I snuck in last night she was deep in thought before noticing I was there. Her usual straight shoulders were weighed down by the helplessness of not knowing and not being able to do anything. After she noticed I showed up she smiled and told me I was late as a way to change the subject…but now it is all okay, they are all okay._

_Joker,_

_She is up and has already started her physical therapy. I'm so telling her you said to slap her. We'll make arrangements for the Normandy and I'll let everyone know that you are all okay. You better not be pulling my leg about this Joker or I will hurt you. Keep us posted so we're ready._

_Kasumi_

After re-reading her message for mistakes Kasumi sent it and sent another message to all the squad on the Citadel that the Normandy was okay and a day or two away. She stood up from her chair outside of Shepard's room and decided to walk in to tell the woman herself. This was just too good of news to not tell her face to face, her smile would be infectious and damn gorgeous as it always was. What she saw when she entered the room halted the thief like a stasis field.

Shepard was sitting on the edge of her hospital bed wearing black gym shorts…and a black sports bra. This was the first time she had seen her like this in so long and despite going through the Reaper war and nearly dying the body the thief had once found herself ogling at was still in the same great shape it had been. A few new scars but they added to the beauty.

A blush made its way to Kasumi's face as she once again found herself staring at the woman who she cared a lot for. _Great timing…I meant that sarcastically at first but now that I look._

She let her eyes wander over Shepard's almost bare back and almost bare chest forming a small smile as she did, _Yeah definitely great timing._ "Er…Should I wait outside?" Kasumi asked awkwardly. As great as it was to ogle over her body, which was absolutely wonderful, the thief wasn't sure if Shepard wanted some privacy or wouldn't want her seeing her like this right now. _Get it together Kasumi, focus on her eyes,_ Kasumi found her eyes fall a little lower but made them shoot back up to her eyes,_ her eyes not her breasts, focus on her eyes._

There was a jubilant laugh from the redhead as she shook her head and motioned for the hooded woman to come in. Not only was she laughing at her question but she had seen her eyes wander. _It's only payback, _Kasumi assured herself, _She stares at me all the time, I have all my clothes on so she usually looks like she is undressing me with her eyes…or maybe I want to convince myself she is doing that?_

Had Shepard been undressing her with her eyes?_ Focus mind focus, tell Shepard about the Normandy._ She needed to stay focused on the task at hand or she would likely fall into a flirting trap set by the redhead and never recover. She had fallen into a few of those but so had her Shep.

Still the sky blue eyed woman was definitely ahead of her and continuing to get further ahead. If she was ever going to recover and gain the lead once more she couldn't lose herself in thinking about the N7 undressing her with her eyes or about the fact she was just in a bra allowing her to admire most of her body unobstructed.

"No. In fact I could use a hand getting my tank top on. Raising my arms above my head is still a pain." Shepard answered. Kasumi walked over to the side of the bed trying to get her blush to disappear as she approached the redhead. Unfortunately her nearly topless love interest had already noticed it and had a big stupid grin on.

_Not only had she seen my eyes wander but now she saw me blushing about seeing her body. I have got to make a recovery somehow and turn the tables…but how? _It was going to be a giant undertaking to turn this around definitely with Shepard still being in her bra.

It was damn distracting.

Her body was so _fit_ and Kasumi just wanted to feel her skin under her hands without having gloves on. To run her hands across her sweat covered body and through her damp hair after a night of…

The image that played through the thief's mind did nothing to help her blush.

_Stay focused, _Kasumi scolded,_ help her get the shirt on and then tell her about the Normandy_. "My my. Am I _enticing_ you my dear _friend_?" The redhead teased as she leaned forward towards her.

_Yes, yes you are._ Not only had her own thoughts betrayed her focus but the woman knew how to take advantage of it and be the merciless tease she could be. All in all it wasn't hard for the redhead to entice her no matter how hard she tried not to fall under her sway. She was beautiful, her long red hair, her sky blue eyes, her body.

Everything.

Kasumi wanted to kiss her way down her entire body, run her bare fingers across every part of her, and so much more.

Shepard had already admitted her love for her but the thief at first was shocked at the idea for no other reason than she hadn't expected her feelings to be _that _strong. Maybe a little bit of a crush or just a flirty attitude at the least but not full blown love.

It was a welcome surprise.

The shock had worn off quickly and now she wanted to allow herself to be in love with Shepard, to not have any more reservations or beliefs of unworthiness of the woman in front of her. She wanted to hold or be held by the woman as lover would hold her, to create memories and live the dreams she had of them. It seemed so farfetched that these feelings were manifesting so quickly but they were.

She had never expected to really feel something so strong for another person after losing Keiji. She had expected to move on to at least become sexually active once more; she had mentioned it to Shepard when they were looking for the indoctrinated Hanar when she had said something about Jacob. _"I'm sentimental not blind."_

The thief had expected her relationships to be mostly about the physical aspect from then on out but now she found herself wanting to have something more than that with Shepard. Her Shep was looking for more than that anyway and she found herself steadily letting her shackled heart out of its chains to feel once more with the one person she knew would handle it with the utmost care.

It was another welcome surprise.

Though Shepard was clearly in love with her she hid away the stronger parts of it. She was keeping them caged until Kasumi was ready for them to no longer be held back. Still the thief could feel the love of the women every time they made eye contact, her eyes were the only part of her that couldn't hide what she truly felt.

Every time they spoke, every time they made eye contact Kasumi could feel herself growing more attached to Shepard. To be fair she had always been attached to her but that had been as a friend. This new attachment she was feeling was more intimate than anything she had felt since Keiji.

She wanted to allow Shepard to take her hood off.

It probably sounded mundane to those who didn't truly know her but allowing someone to remove her hood and see her face was pretty much the same level of trust and intimate as removing helmets and linking suits was for Quarian's.

Even among her friends from the Normandy, who were her most trusted friends, she remained under her hood. It was just how she had always been since she began her career as the best thief in the galaxy and it took time with Keiji to finally take the hood off.

Kasumi wanted to let Shepard see what was under the hood for once. She wanted her to see her face unobstructed for once. _"I already have." _The thief bit back the laugh that was threatening to bubble over at the reminder the vid Fleet and Flotilla and that corny line the Turian had told the Quarian. _Oh Tali you've corrupted me. Watching that was totally worth it._

At the same time Kasumi felt butterflies back flipping in her stomach at the thought of Shepard seeing her face unobstructed. Her heart would begin to pound in her chest trying to break through her rib cage at the thought of letting her hood be taken off. Would the redhead really understand what it meant to her to have someone do that? _What the hell is wrong with me? It's Shep I'm talking about. My Shep. She'd know exactly what it means to me if she hasn't already figured it out…what did she ask me again? _

A short moment passed allowing the thief to remember what was asked. _Was she enticing me? Yes but can't say that yet. _"I…is there a right answer here that doesn't get me in trouble?" Kasumi questioned as heat continued to rise to her face. It seemed like a trick question, answering yes would lead to Shepard giving her a hard time about staring while answering no would mean she didn't like seeing her like this.

She did like seeing her like this and she had already imagined a steamy night with less clothing involved but with Shepard's body and lips merely inches away it was becoming harder to think.

All the thoughts she had of what she wanted to do had swarmed her thoughts and now she was left in the precarious position of desiring to push the gorgeous warrior back on the bed and do things that they could get in trouble for in public. Shepard wasn't helping either with the mischievous smile she held. It was like she was trying to will the thief to make a move on her even if she didn't know her thoughts.

With the knowing smile on her face she probably had a decent idea of the line of thought she had wandered off on. Her own question hadn't put her in a position of turning this around so she wasn't on the receiving end of this all. Kasumi had practically asked for Shepard to continue to try and see where her flirting would get them.

The N7 leaned in closer so they were nearly nose to nose and within her eyes laid the desire to lean in the rest of the way. Much to the hooded woman's disappointment she relented against her own desires and held her ground. "I don't know, you tell me." She whispered.

That did nothing but fuel the urge Kasumi had. Their relationship had become very flirty since their initial conversation but they hadn't pushed much farther than flirting and holding hands while they sat in the room late at night. Shepard's new tactic was constantly leaning in like she was going for a kiss only to move away always at the last moment.

It was a sort of mental torture and it continued to have the same effect on Kasumi leaving her blushing first as their lips were so close to each other and then leaving her bummed out that nothing came of it.

Was Shepard waiting for a right moment to actually kiss? Was she worried about Kasumi not wanting it? As she stared into the sky blue eyes of the redhead she began to feel the need to do something, anything for that matter. Something to break the sudden tension that filled the room and make her blush go away but she couldn't walk away, she didn't want to.

If she could have licked her lips without drawing attention to herself or letting her intentions be known she would have, she wanted to kiss Shepard. Well actually she wanted to do a lot more than that but she needed to make that first step.

First steps were important; it was how they had gotten this far with Shepard taking the first step by explaining she held feelings. Now the next step was up to Kasumi to decide when and where it would land. She had a decent idea where the landing zone of this next "step" would land.

The feeling of lust took over her rational mind yet she still felt nervous welled deep within her as she gently pressed her lips against Shepard's. In all honesty it was a pretty lame kiss. Both women were in so much shock of what had occurred to do anything other than let their lips only stay connected for the briefest moments before Kasumi's rational mind pulled her away from Shepard, _what the hell am I doing? I shouldn't have done that, not now. _

The plan had been walk in, tell Shepard the Normandy was okay and all of her friends were as well, see if she needed help going to physical therapy and then figure out what to do from there. That was the plan but that plan had hit a huge pothole and never recovered.

Kissing Shepard was not a part of the plan…but it felt great. The thief's heart was racing and she wasn't sure if she had just done something she shouldn't have, but it felt great. Her lips were soft and that made it totally worth messing up the plan.

Another bonus of screwing up the plan was the shocked expression on the redheads face. Apparently she hadn't expected her to do that of all things. She had probably just been teasing her again but things had definitely gone awry for both of them.

Kasumi felt like she had stepped passed a line she shouldn't have crossed, she didn't regret the small lame kiss but she wasn't sure where the boundaries were right now.

She had likely just crossed them all.

"I really shouldn't have done that. Sorry Shep." Kasumi muttered as she looked down to the side. She couldn't look straight down because Shepard was there and if she missed seeing her face she would be looking directly at her breast.

Not an ideal situation.

A hand gently guided her head up and as her eyes met with sky blue ones Shepard's lips locked with Kasumi's again. This kiss was not the lame one she had just initiated. Kasumi felt all her fears melt away along with every other part of her as the redhead's velvet lips held hers for only the briefest of moments. The kiss was gentle and during the short moment they held it many feelings were explained with no words from both parties.

The thief understood now that any boundary she thought existed simply didn't. If she wanted to go slow they could, just as her Shep had told her the night she woke up. The redhead now understood that the hooded woman was unsure of herself and of doing anything out of fear she didn't want it.

Shepard smiled as she stared into Kasumi's eyes and the thief felt herself begin to smile as she stared back. There was something so comforting about staring into the sky blue eyes, something about the woman behind them that with one single look and smile every stress just whittled away.

"No sorrys remember?" Shepard stated. She nodded, she hadn't forgotten and she had probably sounded stupid apologizing for a kiss. "Maybe I should clear the air for you just so you don't need to question yourself again. I want you Kasumi."

Her tone was one mixed of care and desire gaining all of Kasumi's attention. Of course she knew that Shepard wanted her but hearing that tone reminded the thief of her original thoughts. Mostly the thought of the redheads sweat covered body on top of hers or under hers. She wanted Shepard just as Shepard wanted her. "I want to be with you, I want to make you smile and blush amongst other things but I don't want you to feel rushed."

Shepard grabbed both of Kasumi's hands gently and intertwined their fingers "I want you to feel comfortable with us, you dictate how fast or slow we move and you never need to feel sorry for touching or kissing me." She didn't feel entirely sorry about doing, just sorry that she might have crossed a boundary. "Never feel like I don't want you to do that to me because I'll tell you right now that I want you to do those things, and more. Okay?"

_And more? _Kasumi felt a warmth raise to her face and a sudden urge begin to ache, _Careful Shep, you and that honey tongue of yours might get you into trouble…or pleasure being the more likely._

She nodded in acknowledgement but then a smile formed on her face; she had plans forming in her mind. "In that case I think you could totally do better than that kiss." Shepard smiled back before the pair's lips met once more.

Feeling braver than she had before Kasumi decided to close the small distance between them after releasing Shepard's hands. She split the redhead's knees apart allowing the thief to stand with the bottom of her ribs against her chest while the sitting woman rested her hands on Kasumi's hips and angled her head up to meet the hooded woman's lips.

Both women kissed with passion and a faint hunger for more than what they were doing. The hunger she felt from her Shep reminded the hooded woman what it felt like to desire a more intimate relationship and be desired in the same way. Each second the kiss lasted allowed for more of the redheads true feelings to seep through and seek out the true feelings of the thief breaking off the chains that had kept her heart safe since Keiji's passing.

The kiss deepened as Kasumi began pushing Shepard down to the bed, before things got even more heated the sound of someone clearing their throat made both of women freeze in place. _Uh-oh. _She looked over in the corner of her eye to see a nurse and Miranda standing in the doorway. Miranda had a slight smirk playing at her lips as the nurse had a smile on her face while also managing to look sorry for interrupting them.

The thought crossed the thief's mind to hit her cloak and disappear from sight but despite the slight blush tinting both hers and Shepard's face she didn't find herself embarrassed by being caught in the act. In fact as the pair began to part instead of becoming bashful the beauty leaning back on her elbows bit Kasumi's bottom lip playfully before leaning back with victory at getting the last word.

Now seeing it as a challenge that could not be dismissed Kasumi in turn kissed Shepard again receiving a surprised but pleasured muffle of the action. It was a short lived victorious moment as Miranda cleared her throat more forcefully a second time that held the warning undertone of sedation awaiting those who didn't listen.

Not wanting to test the raven haired woman Kasumi stepped off to the side allowing her love interest to sit up fully. "Miranda I was just on my way to physical therapy." Shepard said as she turned to Miranda as if they hadn't walked in on them.

Miranda snorted in amusement, the thief could see a faint happy surprised glint in her eyes. The former Cerberus operative was a very perceptive woman and Kasumi didn't doubt her suspecting Shepard's feelings before the final push or noticing the slightly more flirtatious quips the pair had shared the last few days. "I can see that. So did you plan to do that before or after you two were done _preparing_ for _physical therapy_?" Miranda asked with a smile.

"She was actually going to be helping get my tank top on as soon as we finished." Shepard retorted with a smile. The nurse excused herself with a bow of her head before exiting with a smile on her face.

Miranda waited for the doors to close before her smirk fully manifested into a knowing smile. _So she had suspected something and is sooo going to give Shep a hard time on the way to physical therapy._ "I'll get ready and explain on the way to physical therapy. It isn't meant to be a secret but I would like to be the one to tell the guys" Shepard said.

She nodded still with an amused look on her face, she now had ammo for the banter cannon and she knew it. "Speaking of which, did Kasumi tell you the news?" Shepard looked to Kasumi with a raised eyebrow, "Guess you distracted her before she could tell you. Kasumi can I trust you to fill her in and get her dressed _without_ distractions."

The thief nodded with a small smile, as long as she didn't walk back in after a few seconds there would be no knowing of any type of distraction. Miranda turned and exited the room leaving Shepard and Kasumi alone to get ready. Kasumi dug the N7 tags out from being hidden under her top and let them hang out in the open for all to see.

She knew there was never an intention to hide what was building up between the two from their friends or anyone else for that matter but hearing it verbally was nice. There was no shame between them for feeling what they felt and thankfully the galaxy didn't really care about same sex relationships like Earth had many years ago.

The only tiny worry Kasumi had was about her public standing, while she was apparently dead to some and someone who helped the war effort to others part of her worried about the law coming after her. She had her Shep who was a Spectre and the hero of the galaxy so maybe that would keep her safe though that was not among any of the reasons she was with the beautiful woman.

Shepard cleared her throat dragging Kasumi from her thoughts on something that wasn't too much of a worry at the moment. "You didn't think I'd let you have the last move did you?" The redhead teased.

"Oh did I one up you in front of guests?" Kasumi used her most innocent voice, "I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me my dear _commander._ Is that insubordination? Do I need to make that up to you as wel-" A surprised yelp escaped the thief as her love interest pulled her back between her legs and over her as she laid back on the bed.

As Shepard pulled her back into a kiss Kasumi couldn't help but giggle into it at what she had said and being tugged by the redhead. The giggle soon became contagious in the midst of their kiss until both began laughing at themselves.

They probably sounded like a bunch of raving lunatics to Miranda who was waiting outside of the room still but they didn't care. The duo was having a laugh over something that they found funny. "What need I do to win back your favor milady, for my heart can only belong to you?" Kasumi asked between her laughs.

"Pfft!" Shepard attempted to stifle her laugh but once again the pair broke into another fit of laughter. Laughing was apparently a great medicine so why not give it a try. In an attempt to gain control of their laughing and the situation the redhead brought Kasumi into a kiss. They smiled into the kiss trying to maintain their laughter to enjoy it.

The kiss didn't get very far before they parted with the N7 sniggering to herself, "Win back your favor milady? Seriously?" She asked between her laughs.

"Oh yes my dear fair maiden. For I have wronged you a thousand times and will perform a thousand tasks if it will allow me to win back your heart, for my heart will not sing for no one else."

Shepard tried to stifle her laugh again only to begin to laugh again. She laid her head back on the bed as the thief brushed the red hair out of her face as it all lay sprawled out under her. The redhead let out a pleased sigh when she finally got her laughing under control, "You win that round Kasumi."

"I know."

The women shared a short kiss before the thief stood back up and pulled her love interest up with her. "So, news?" Shepard asked after fixing her hair.

"Got a message from Joker, they are all okay and a day or two out depending on their luck. I meant to tell you when I got in here but…well." Kasumi smiled as Shepard lit up from the news. "They worried about you but I assured them you were okay and awake, you definitely show signs of cognitive response if I do say so myself."

Shepard laughed and wrapped her arms around the thief's waist pulling her in closer; the N7 planted a peck on the bottom of her chin as she stared up at the standing woman. "How could I not be when you're here?"

Kasumi gave her a peck on her lips in retort, "You flatterer." The redhead smiled, "We should probably get you dressed so Miranda doesn't come back and try to sedate me for making you laugh so much." Shepard let out a disappointed sigh then let her hold on the thief go so they could get her tank top on.

She did her best to help the N7 get her arms and head through her black wifebeater properly with the woman only grunting in pain a few times. She was still recovering from her injuries but making more progress each day, probably due to her stubbornness and desire to take Kasumi on their planned date.

She helped the soldier to her feet and to the door where Miranda was waiting patiently outside of, "So will you be here when I get back?" Shepard asked. Kasumi wasn't sure, she had to finish scouting the casino they were planning to rob and also help some of the refuges.

That could take more time than she thought so she shrugged, "I don't know. I'm going to go help some of the refuges and scout out our casino so I may not be. I will be back tonight though if I get caught up."

"Sounds like a plan to me. Stay safe for me okay?" Shepard asked.

Kasumi smiled and nodded, "Of course but don't forget who you're talking too Shep. I'll see you tonight for sure." The pair shared a kiss before exiting the room with Shepard going with Miranda and Kasumi following until they split off going their separate ways. Before going to do what she had planned to do Kasumi stopped by at a flower shop to pick up a red rose. She went back to Huerta and put it on the counter next to Shepard's bed before heading back out to take care of the business she had.

Old habits die hard.

**A/N: To the guest who reviewed, I'm glad you are enjoying this story! Hope you all enjoy this new entry!**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Homecoming

"Is…that all…you got…Shepard?" Jack asked as she reached the top of each pull-up.

"I'm just…getting…started." Shepard retorted.

Shepard and Jack were side by side on the long pull-up bar as they matched one another's pull-ups. They were around their fiftieth one and the N7 could feel her muscles beginning to ache and burn. While she was recovering fairly well for almost dying, her body wasn't back up to its usual strength just yet.

If she could keep her mind off of her aching body she would be able to keep up with Jack longer and maybe out taunt her to get her off the bar first. This was a competition of a sort and she wasn't going to give up so easily.

Three days had passed since the message from Joker had come through to Kasumi but they had yet to show up. The thought that something could have happened to them or that someone was seriously hurt on the Normandy and Joker had been putting it lightly made her worry. Joker knew when to be serious yet he also knew that hearing that the Normandy was wrecked and broken ribs weren't the most serious injury on board would send his commander into a fit of worry.

The fact that he could be hiding bad injuries to ease her stress made the N7 continuously reread his message in order to spot tells of his that would indicate if he was lying or not. She hadn't spotted any but without seeing his face or hearing his voice she wasn't one hundred percent sure he wasn't lying.

Shepard held hope for them all though. If she had made it through they would too. For now she had to focus on her recovery until they did show up.

Thanks to her cybernetics and Miranda's doctoring ability the N7s recovery was going quicker than expected which was how she found herself in a pull-up contest with Jack.

The tattooed biotic wanted to see just how much she had recovered so she challenged her to this contest and they were both going at the same pace without missing one taunt. The taunts from Jack were to keep Shepard going in an attempt to get her body back to strength while the taunts she was firing back were for fun at first and now were to get her fellow biotic off the bar first.

Jack's outfit remained the same just she wasn't wearing her black jacket while they worked out and Shepard was in her shorts and sports bra with her tank top off to the side. If anyone aside from her crew were in the recovery room with them they would have likely had people staring.

Thankfully within the recovery room were just the two biotic's and Zaeed, Jacob, and Grunt who were busy playing Skyllian Five. By the sound of it Zaeed had won a few rounds already, that or he was chuckling at Grunt learning how to play the game.

They offered both women to join them but Jack was in teacher boot camp mode, apparently Miranda's physical therapy sessions were too easy and allowing the N7 to slack off. Now it was, as Jack put it, _"Time to get your slacking ass back up to strength. You want to rock Kasumi's world right? Then you're going to get on that bar and match me in pull-ups today to see how well the cheerleaders crap worked. If it didn't work as I expect you are going to be working your ass off with me to get back to the ass kicking queen of the girl scouts that you are." _

Jack really knew how to motivate, her teaching methods were definitely unorthodox but unorthodox was sometimes the best way to go. Using Kasumi was definitely a great way to get the N7 to want to show up the tattooed biotic, this boot camp would certainly allow her to take the woman she loved on their planned date sooner rather than later.

She hadn't seen the thief since the night before which felt a whole lot longer than it really was but she still had her red rose in her room. Coming back from physical therapy the day they had kissed and seeing her calling card made the redhead smile, she used to leave one behind for each item she stole yet Shepard couldn't help but wonder which item it replaced. Was it for the N7 tags she now wore for all to see or was it for stealing her heart?

Now that the redhead thought about it she needed two red roses either way since she stole both, _I'll have to tease her about that later._ She smiled at the thought of teasing the woman she loved. Each day they continued their battle of flirts and quips added on with kisses now, something Shepard was enjoying more and more each time they did.

Shepard found herself smiling now more than she had in the last year combined. Not only did she have Kasumi at her side again with their relationship beginning to bloom but she also had almost all of her friends there as well.

Speaking with them all, teasing them, being teased by them, everything they did made her smile. After dealing with the doom of the Reaper War every day and night plus trying to bring all the races together it felt great to just have this time with the people she cared for most.

A reprieve from the huge responsibility and stress the war had caused was more than welcomed.

Sooner or later she was going to have to join the recovery effort and relieve Bailey from holding off the paparazzi and the Council, though he was probably having a good time doing it this time around. Judging on the small smile he had on his face the one time he had taken the time to visit he was finding pleasure in sending away paparazzi and Council requests.

Not having the weight of the whole galaxy on her shoulders at the moment felt great. Something Anderson had said to her before she made her decision stuck in her mind everyday as a reminder to take a breath and relax as much as she could no matter what was going on.

He had told her before passing out that it felt like years since he had sat down, waking up in the hospital and spending time with her friends made her realize just how much she felt the same. Every day running into battle or planning how she was going to solve some diplomatic hell had taken its toll on her physically, mentally and emotionally. Finally being able to sit back and relax allowed her to take into account just how big of a toll it was.

Waking up in a hospital with bandages on her body with sore muscles and bones was the start of remembering how much she had pushed her body to its limits. The redhead didn't doubt that during the war she looked at least twenty years older than she really was. Before going to the Illusive Man's headquarters she had seen the dark circles under her eyes, at the time she couldn't even remember the last time she had a good night of sleep.

Nightmares had plagued her sleep during the war and that was when she was allowed to rest. The unfortunate reality of the situation was that she had been heading for a downfall even before her decision. She was trained to push past the mental and physical limits of the mind and body but even that training was limited against the nightmares the Reapers had created.

Her emotional limit had almost been reached before the Cerberus base. She had nearly had her emotional breakdown on Kasumi when they spoke before the final push. All her emotions for the wonderful woman combined with the worries all the galaxy had seemed to place on her from their own incompetence nearly brought her to tears.

The great Commander Shepard had a limit on how much she could take emotionally. She couldn't stand it any longer, the constant stress, the countless lives loss. How much more did they have to lose to the Reapers? How much more would be expected of her to go through just to end the war? If it wasn't for her crew she likely would have lost her sanity, if it wasn't for the small hope that she could end the war and let her friends live in a peace filled galaxy she would have quit early on.

Shepard figured she wouldn't survive the war; after all it was her duty to end it by all means. The Normandy was the tip of the spear, she was the one who was meant to deal the final blow and plunge into the heart of the monstrosity they had faced.

That was usually a one way trip.

When she woke up alive and recovering in the hospital she wasn't sure if everything she had done was all just a dream or if it had really happened. Once Kasumi explained the aftermath everything came swarming back. None of it was a dream; all of it had happened and somehow despite what that strange A.I. had told her the Geth had managed to survive after their initial shut down.

The A.I. apparently didn't understand the device fully or was unaware of how much effort she had put into getting as many scientists as she could to work on it. It was all thanks to the people who worked on the Crucible that the device had killed the Reapers and only shut down the Geth.

None of those stresses she had on her shoulders mattered now though, Shepard felt rejuvenated being amongst her friends on this road of recovery.

Being with her favorite thief was another huge help.

Having her not only as company but actually reciprocating the feelings she had for her had surprised and delighted the redhead. She loved the thief with all her heart, to know that the woman she loved was allowing her chained heart be held by her made the warriors heart swell with joy.

Losing Keiji had hit Kasumi hard; Shepard had seen that back when they retrieved the graybox back from Hock. She locked away her heart hoping to never let herself become so intimately attached to one person again. The redhead couldn't blame her, she had lost friends and each loss made her wish to detach herself from the remaining living ones. Instead of doing so she found strength in her remaining friends, they were there for her still and wouldn't let her suffer the pain alone.

Kasumi had unfortunately shouldered the pain alone and with her bright personality it seemed like she wasn't hurting as much as she really was. She couldn't fool the N7 though and couldn't keep herself isolated from her. The redhead pursued a friendship and received one that was great. She tried to help the woman with her burden just like her own friends had done for her after losing Ash.

In a way it worked, Kasumi stopped visiting the graybox so often and began visiting Shepard instead for conversation. After the Suicide Mission and the Alpha Relay incident they parted ways with Shepard going back to the Alliance and Kasumi going to do what she did best.

Then came the war and the sparse meetings they had until the final push, Shepard had become aware of how much she really cared about the thief and now the thief was allowing herself to steadily unlock the cage that held her heart.

Maybe it was the way fate was repaying her for everything she had done to help preserve the galaxy and defeat the Reapers or maybe it was just some stroke of luck that her feelings had been for a woman who also felt something for her. Ever since they had met and befriended one another they had shared a strong bond, one that had only grown stronger over time.

They had loved each other as friends and for Shepard that love grew past friends to what it was now. She had her doubts that Kasumi would actually feel the same way, after losing Keiji the redhead found it unlikely that the thief would want to have another relationship that was more than just the physical aspect.

Her gender preference was another wonder, the thief had Keiji and then on the Normandy she was fascinated by Jacob. Shepard couldn't help but feel it was unlikely she would have the same feelings.

To her surprise Kasumi didn't seem to care or was making an exception for her because the bond between them pushed past gender preference. Whatever was the cause of this surprise of not only allowing her to live but also be with Kasumi had her thanks for giving her the chance.

Spending the nights together holding hands at first assured the redhead the thief wasn't going anywhere ever again unless it was her. After seeing thoughts cross Kasumi's mind on more than one occasion followed by their first awkward kiss and then the better one their relationship had improved once more.

Whether the thief knew or not her eyes had shown many of the thoughts she had. The finer details of the thoughts were unknown but she had definitely imagined them making love among other thoughts about being with the redhead.

_At least I'm not the only one with those thoughts, _Shepard mused. During many of their flirt battles and times where she was just thinking about the woman she found herself imagining making love to her. It usually started with them sharing an intimate moment that led to Kasumi allowing her to take her hood off.

Shepard had seen small glimpses recently of the thief's face that was usually covered by a shadow and it only fueled the hope that one day she would be able to take it off. She would never force Kasumi to take it off unless she willingly wanted to; she knew that taking the hood off was her ultimate sign of trust and care for someone.

Her imagination usually trailed off after that moment allowing herself to explore the inner desires she held. The images her imagination provided mid pull-up made the redhead thankful her cheeks were already rose red from exercising. Her blush was well hidden by it but the smirk she held from the thought did show causing Jack to think of it as a challenge.

The last three nights she had spent with Kasumi they had lain on the bed together while they spoke, teased and kissed one another. Holding her in her arms, feeling her lips on her own, tasting her tongue….It was fantastic. The feeling was more than she had ever dreamed and better than her imagination could ever make it.

Kasumi's kisses were gentle yet full of passion, the way she sucked on her bottom lip at different points during their kiss continued to allure and excite the redhead. "Losing focus…Shepard?" Jack asked with a smirk in her strained voice.

The N7 hadn't noticed but she had slowed down while she was thinking about the kiss, she pumped out a few to catch up before looking over to Jack while the moved in synchronicity, "Just giving…you a chance Jack."

"Giving me…a chance?" The tattooed biotic questioned.

Now was the chance to out taunt her and hopefully get her to drop off the bar. While in her thoughts she had forgotten about the aches in her body now that she was back in the present she could feel the aches of her body becoming even worse with each pull-up. A smart person would have just forfeited and saved their body the pain, a stubborn person like Shepard didn't believe in forfeiting when there was still a chance to win. "Yeah…don't want…to beat you…too badly."

"Why?"

There was her opening. "What would…Miri think? Well she would…probably think…her abilities to heal…are great but…she may scold _you_…for slacking." Shepard responded with a smirk.

Zaeed chuckled from behind them, "Hold on boys, this is about to get good."

"Fuck…you." Jack grunted.

"No denial?" Shepard teased.

Jack held herself up at the top of her pull up and gave Shepard a kick in the ass before continuing where she left off. The kick did little to ease the aches but she now held the advantage and if Zaeed was willing to help she would certainly win now. "I'm just saying Jack…now that the war is over…you two can relieve…all the stress you need to and finally…come to terms with…your budding love." Shepard said.

The guys chuckled behind them as Jack let out an irritated growl, "If you were…anyone else…I would kick…your fucking ass."

"Still no denial? Hey Zaeed…did I miss out on…their marriage?"

The older veteran chuckled behind her indicating he knew of her plan and was willing to go along with it. "Nah, they're still jus' eye fuckin' each other. It's embarrassin' really, the two of them hiding from what has been growing between them since the Collectors. They're like two goddamned teenage virgins prancing around each other without the frilly dresses." Zaeed responded.

Jack dropped off the pull up bar, "That's it old man, your ass is mine!"

Shepard let out a laugh as she did one more pull up before dropping off the bar herself, "Well looks like I win." Jack stopped herself from going after the veteran soldier who still hadn't moved from his card game before realizing what she had done.

"Damn you Shepard." Jack mumbled to herself. The Commander smiled in victory, her body still wasn't fully recovered and she was likely going to pay for the amount of pull-ups she did tomorrow.

Miranda had warned her to not overdo any type of exercise during her recovery lest she wanted to remain bedridden for a longer time period. Jack obviously didn't listen to her wanting to get Shepard back up to strength her own way. She felt a bit stronger than she did before the exercise but she was still going to be as careful as she could.

She didn't want to be in the hospital any longer.

Being stuck in a room all day when she wasn't in physical therapy was making Shepard remember why she preferred her ship and her apartment. Being on the SR-2 gave her the freedom to go wherever she wanted whether it was another floor on the ship or a new planet. Her apartment gave her the freedom to roam around the large space and leave on whim.

The hospital was like a cage and she was a bird trapped within it with clipped wings stopping her from flying out the door even though it was wide open. It felt terrible and Shepard couldn't help but wonder if this was how Joker felt when she died the first time when they disallowed him from flying a ship.

She would have joined Cerberus too if she had been in his shoes. The N7 wasn't meant to be kept cooped up like this. The only thing that made it bearable was having her friends there with her.

"You okay Shepard?" Jacob asked as he approached the two biotic's with towels.

He handed one to her and the other to Jack, "Yeah, just can't wait to get out of this hospital." She responded.

"We could always lower you out the window like Grunt's pals did last time he was here." Jack offered with a smirk on her face as she wiped the sweat from her arms. Shepard smiled at the memory of finding Grunt at a noodle shop with C-Sec and the story he told.

She loved her little berserkopath.

Grunt let out a humorous chuckle before setting his cards down showing a ten of spades and an ace while on the floor was a queen, a nine, a jack and a king. "Goddamn it." Zaeed cursed as he looked down at his two pair. The Krogan had beaten him with his straight flush and by the looks of it Jacob had folded long before, a smart move for that round seeing as Grunt took the pot with his cards.

"Need creds old man?" Jack asked.

"Not like you'd give me any if I asked. Not after helping Shepard out." He stated as he grabbed the cards and reshuffled the deck. "One more round tiny?"

"Sure. Maybe you can win some of your dignity back this time." The Krogan challenged.

"Jacob?" Zaeed asked.

"Yeah deal me in." Jacob looked to the two women, "You two want in?"

"Nah, I've got to bring her highness here back to see if the cheerleader got her checked out of the hospital yet. You three should head back too." The guys nodded and got off the floor then left the room. Shepard grabbed her black wifebeater and put it back on so she wouldn't walk back into Huerta in just a sports bra and shorts.

Reporters were trying to get a shot of her anyway; the last thing she wanted was them to have a shot of her in her sports bra. She did not need that kind of picture circulating on the extranet.

Jack grabbed her black jacket and put it on than motioned for Shepard to follow her. The part gym part physical therapy room they were in was a part of Huerta just not on the same floor as her room was leaving the two to take the elevator back up to the floor.

They remained in comfortable silence for most of the trip until the redhead decided to break it. While her teasing about Miranda was fun she didn't want to make Jack uncomfortable. "Hey Jack, you and Miri-"

"Shut up Shepard."

"I wasn't going to tease or anything. I wanted to tell you that no matter if you two are just being more friendly for my sake or because of something during the war or if it is more, whatever it is I enjoy seeing the two of you not threatening to smear the walls with each other anymore."

Jack looked at her with confusion, "What, no witty remark?" She questioned.

Shepard shook her head, "Nope. I may tease but even if there was something more going on I wouldn't have any problem with it. As long as you two don't kill each other I will approve of whatever type of relationship you two have. Friendship, rivalry, or love, it doesn't matter to me. You two are grown women, you can make whatever decisions you want…Well as long as it doesn't kill you, I'd miss you both."

Jack slugged her in the arm, "Yeah yeah don't need to get all touchy feely with me about it. Speaking of friendship do I need to touch up the tattoo I gave you?"

She was referring to the Omega symbol above her left leg on her waist and last time she checked it was still in good condition. The tattoo was still looked as fresh as it did after she had gotten it. "No it's still in good condition. Unless you are implying you want to see more leg from me." Jack punched her again with a roll of her eyes and a smirk. "I was wondering if you could give me another."

"Sure. What do you have in mind?"

"Not entirely sure yet. I'm still thinking about it but I'll let you know soon." Shepard responded.

The tattooed biotic nodded her ponytail bobbing as she did, the redhead was thinking of getting a red rose somewhere on her but she had yet to figure out if she wanted just the petals or the rose and the stem.

The pair walked onto the main floor of Huerta and with a quick search they found Miranda at the counter wearing a white V-neck and black jeans. It was still different seeing her in such a casual outfit but it was a good different. "Shepard?" Shepard looked over to Jack with a questioning look to why she said her name, "Thanks."

Shepard smiled and gave her nod before they finally reached the former Cerberus operative. "Shepard, Jack." She greeted.

"Hey Miri, am I allowed to leave?" Shepard asked.

The woman smiled as she handed a data-pad over to the clerk behind the counter, "As a matter of fact, yes. I already had Kasumi move all your stuff to your apartment and begin working on making it livable with the others who weren't watching you. She should be back any second now."

It was a relief that she would be finally let out of the hospital, the redhead also felt excited to see Kasumi again. "Knowing Kasumi she'll probably pop up any second now, maybe she'll grab Shepard's ass now that they are together." Jack joked.

"Well my ass is nice." Shepard retorted. She smiled evilly, "Besides it would certainly make up for the lack of ass grabbing I see between you two. Prudes."

"Seriously Shepard?" Jack questioned.

"I am not a prude." Miranda responded.

Shepard merely shrugged and crossed her arms, "I told you already Miri, the moment I see you show some public display of affection I will believe it." Both women shook their heads at her. While they looked like that was the unlikeliest thing that would ever happen they were also concealing the faint pink tinting their cheeks very well.

Invisible gloved fingers intertwined with her own suddenly causing a smile to cross her features. The redhead knew it was her lovely thief and she was open for a demonstration. "Like this."

She pulled the thief into her arms forcing her cloak to deactivate and reveal the hooded woman. The pair kissed in the middle of the hospital and as they were about to part Kasumi sucked on her bottom lip. "_I missed you a lot." _The thief communicated through the suction.

Shepard pulled her in closer so there was no space left between them and nibbled Kasumi's bottom lip, _"I missed you more."_ The thief smiled and kissed her gently before wrapping her arms around her neck to hug her.

The thief rested her chin on the commander's shoulder before turning her head to the side to suck and nibble on her neck, _"Good."_

After they released one another the duo turned to the two biotic's who were stuck between smirking and shaking their heads at them. Kasumi had her N7 tags around her neck for all to see and was smiling to herself along with Shepard. "Everything is back at the apartment Miranda, is Shep ready to go?"

Miranda shook her head once more with a smile before nodding, "Yes. I take it you're going to walk her back?"

"Yep. Are you and Jack going together?" The two biotic's stared at her, "What? I just don't want you two to get lost in some dark alley or at some romantic restaurant. I worry about you two and this pent up emotion." Both women rolled their eyes and gave their separate goodbyes before leaving ahead of Kasumi and Shepard.

The duo followed after them once the elevator returned, the ride down was quiet exception of the elevator music but they enjoyed the silence. Shepard held the thief in her arms during the trip with her lithe thief leaning back into her. She placed her arms around her stomach as she laid her hooded head back then let out a contented sigh.

It felt good holding her in her arms and feeling her body against her own though the amount of clothing between them was disappointing. Shepard wanted to feel Kasumi's skin under her hands in a situation like this. With her armor on she could still feel her body but it felt like a barrier keeping them apart.

_I guess it wouldn't matter if I could anyway since we've been restricted from any type of sexual activity._ Miranda had warned them both to not do anything more than they already were, she didn't give any reason just warned them not to._ Miranda and her threats of sedation really know how to kill the mood. _The threat was ever looming and was very legitimate, back during the Suicide Mission she had gotten the redhead once after an injury that she was toughing through.

Being kept on drugs to stop her from going anywhere was a terrible punishment.

Shepard kissed Kasumi's clothed shoulder when the doors opened and after intertwining their fingers they began walking towards the skycar lot to get a lift to the Silversun Strip where her apartment was located.

Kasumi piloted the skycar to the strip and as soon as they landed they once again began walking hand in hand with each other. "Any news from Joker?" Shepard asked as they walked.

"No. I'm sure he is close though, he said if they were lucky they'd be here in two days and the Normandy was damaged so they probably just had to be a little more careful than he expected." Kasumi responded.

"Right."

"They're okay Shep." The thief told her.

She let out a sigh and nodded, she hoped they were okay but she didn't like not knowing. The redhead knew she shouldn't doubt Joker or EDI's capabilities of piloting a damaged ship, together they could probably fly anything damaged or not. "Any idea when you'll be fully cleared by Miranda to go on that date?" Kasumi asked.

The thief had asked to distract her yet Shepard couldn't help but be distracted. She smiled at the reminder of their planned date; it would be nice to finally do something with the woman she loved that wasn't just sitting around listening to an EKG machine. "She said I should be closer to one hundred percent in another week."

"A week?" Kasumi gave a dramatic groan, "She is just doing this as payback for all the trouble we gave her.

A laugh escaped them both before they entered the next elevator to bring them up to her apartment room. Shepard entered her security password then took a step back, "You want the good news?" She asked. Kasumi looked to her with a raised eyebrow, "The ban on sexual activity will be over in a week as well."

"Who said I was going to listen to it anyway?" Shepard smiled as she turned to the woman, "I was just waiting to get you out of the hospital before I made my move."

"Is that so?" The redhead asked. That certainly matched the thief's penchant for breaking the rules and definitely a rule Shepard wouldn't mind being broken.

"Yep. But if you want to wait one week then I suppose I'll have to oblige."

Shepard let a faint frown cross her features, "Not fair Kasumi."

The woman smiled and gave her a small kiss on the lips before exiting out the elevator doors that had just opened, "Ah but fairness isn't a part of this game Shep. I've tied the score and now tirelessly wait to see how you will turn it around."

Shepard found herself smiling as she followed after the thief, _if that's how she wants to play then so be it. _There would be time to turn this around later, for now she would allow Kasumi to relish in victory.

They walked to the entrance into her apartment and as soon as Shepard walked in she was greeted with the sight of an occupied room.

"Hey Commander, fancy meeting you here." Joker called from the couch.

"Is this the part where we yell surprise?" Garrus asked from the kitchen with a bottle in his hand.

Shepard felt tears well up in her eyes seeing all her friends alive and well, she turned to the thief next to her who had a smile on her face, "I told you they were okay."

This was the best homecoming gift ever.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Whole Again

Everything had gone perfectly.

Hiding the arrival of the Normandy from Shepard had been fairly difficult as it was the talk of the Citadel and on several news channels. You had Diana Allers, who thankfully decided to take all the brunt of the press for the crew, on her news network, and then there was Al-Jilani trying to sneak in to speak to Shepard because apparently they were hiding her from the public.

Kasumi smiled to herself, _well she isn't entirely wrong. _They were hiding their friend from the public giving her the well-deserved time off from the media, the Council and the Alliance. Every reporter wanted their story though; they all wanted to speak to the hero of the galaxy to hear her story. _Or to badger her about the war so they can get the story of their life. _

Allers was the only one on their side right now and was understanding of the break their commander needed. She still wanted to speak to her eventually and be the first to get her story but for now she was patient and was dealing with the media as a sort of spokesman for Shepard.

On the other end of the spectrum the crew had thankfully been able to pull together and keep Shepard in the dark until this surprise. Those who had arrived first helped to make her apartment more livable when they weren't taking shifts watching the N7 while the newly arrived Normandy crew helped where they could after resting for the first time since the crash.

Everyone on the SR-2 had made it back safe and mostly uninjured, none had any severe injuries or if they did Chakwas had fixed them up on the trip back. Even EDI's body had made it out mostly unscathed; there were a few scuffs and scratches on it from some of the last fights and the crash but nothing serious. She had definitely made some repairs but that was fine, she was alive that was all that mattered.

Meeting up with the squad once they docked had been a huge relief for the thief, Joker and EDI were two of the first people out and she couldn't help but give both of them a hug. EDI received a bigger hug but that was mostly because she wouldn't break from a bear hug.

_"Hello Kasumi, did we worry you?" _She had asked with humor in her synthesized voice. The thief couldn't help but laugh at the comment; she didn't know how much they had all collectively worried for them all.

That worry was no longer a burden to bear, now Kasumi was sitting back watching Shepard go through the same emotions that she had when she first saw the Normandy and her squad arrive. Shock was the first to hit, seeing them all there in one piece and looking nearly exactly as they had the last time she saw them felt like you were in a dream state. You knew you had just been awake yet seeing them after worrying about them for days made you feel like you were dreaming. Your head felt suddenly lighter than it should, your legs felt a bit weak and you found yourself questioning reality.

Then it all sunk in, you weren't dreaming. Happiness began to bubble up within you as you dared to believe against all the doubter logic in your head telling you that this couldn't be real. At this point you really didn't care if you were about to wake up from a dream, you wanted to go over to them and hug them to assure yourself they were real.

Shepard had just reached that point of forgetting all the doubter logic in her head as tears of happiness welled in her eyes, after sparing a thankful glance to the thief she left to go confirm what she saw and ease the pain that had been forming in her heart.

Aside from the Normandy squad all the others who had been with her at the hospital were there as well. Wrex and a recovering Anderson had also managed to get away from their duties, and doctors in the Admiral's case, to join this reunion.

This felt good, better than any successful heist had ever felt.

Shepard went up to each of her crew with witty remarks being fired from all sides before giving them all hugs or a handshake in the case of Javik. Hugging the Prothean was likely a death sentence out of an airlock if he could find one close by.

They all were more or less unchanged from the events of the war and crash landing once they were reunited with Shepard. _Just as we were. _Kasumi looked to the group she had been with before the arrival of the SR-2. Each one of them had smiles ranging in size from small ones reveling in a personal moment or large ones like Grunt's as he gave Shepard a large pat on the shoulder.

_We had all been different to some degree because of the war but the moment Shep was awake, the moment we knew she was going to be okay everything we had felt changed. The stress, the memories of the war, all of it just faded away. _The thief let her gaze fall to the other half of them that had only just arrived, _that's what they all feel. All of that stress and pain just falling away like a leaf in a stream reaching the inevitable waterfall. This waterfall just happens to be a good one not one that leads to death._

It was great to see the crew falling back into the usual banter and camaraderie, Garrus was still the same dry humored Turian though now instead of being the "bachelor" he had been he was now with Tali. Nothing really changed between them other than the flirty comments they passed to one another along with the usual threats of a shotgun from the Quarian.

Joker was still the same smartass he always was, he didn't even miss a beat when it came to giving everyone a hard time. Liara seemed to be not as much of a cynic around Shepard but she still had some of the more serious attitude still in her.

She was the Shadow Broker so the thief tried not to be surprised by it, she just couldn't help but wonder if she missed the more innocent version of herself. Her network was slowly reforming but for now she was enjoying the break from the work and was delighted to see Shepard alive and still the same woman they all cared for.

Even Javik seemed pleased to see that she was still alive and that was saying something. Kasumi wasn't sure if he had smiled yet but normally he would have made a comment about "During his cycle" or something about them all being primitives.

So far he hadn't even mentioned throwing someone out an airlock; the night was still young though. If he didn't the thief decided it would be time to start worrying. He was mostly quiet only sharing his words when he felt like speaking or when Shepard directed something to him.

Kaiden was actually in the midst of cooking for them all while putting on a show for those waiting close by for dinner. The war had definitely left its marks on him and from what she heard from Joker it seemed he and Garrus had been ordered by Shepard back onto the Normandy before the beam. One of them had gotten injured badly injured and the other had minor injuries so Shepard had called in an evac sending them both back on.

Joker didn't give the specifics on who had the worst set of injuries and looking at both Garrus and Kaiden it was impossible to tell who it had been. There were no scars that she hadn't seen on either of them, Garrus still had one good side and one scarred side on his face and Kaiden looked unchanged.

Actually that wasn't true, before at their first get together in this apartment he had looked a lot older than he was. Then again so had Shepard and all the others who had seen the nightmares of the Reapers firsthand, the war had definitely left more than its fair share of sleepless nights. Now, like the others, being able to relax and being reunited with all their friends had rejuvenated the man. He smiled a lot more and looked thoroughly entertained as he was putting on a show.

The marks the war left on him were still visible but they were fading away as the night pressed on. Chakwas and Adams, who were essentially the mother and father of their rag tag group, looked no worse than they had initially. They were in good spirits definitely as they watched all of the Normandy squad smiling and bantering with one another.

Traynor, surprisingly enough, was jumping in on their banter as well. The originally awkward comm specialist had apparently finally acclimatized to being a part of the squad and was able to understand their banter.

James was telling the tale of the crash landing and was exaggerating everything. If his story was true than he had been attacked by a pack of Varren and took them on with his bare hands.

"So there I was with this pack of Varren surrounding me and no weapons other than these guns." James flexed his muscles before continuing, "I had to channel a bit of Lola for this one 'cause she's the only one I know that would be loco enough to take these beasts down. Before I could make my move though I was tackled by one but I managed to throw it off and snapped its jaw by pulling its upper and lower away from one another."

Vega began imitating himself killing the first Varren as the group tried not to laugh at his ridiculous story, "After I finished off the first another tackled me from behind but it scattered off after I poked it in the eye. I had to thank Dios for looking out for me; you see there was this spear like stick right next to me where the Varren had knocked me down. Coincidence no?"

There were a few snickers among the crowd as they tried to keep themselves from laughing at the serious look on his face; he truly looked like he believed this had happened. "So the one I blinded in one eye came charging back but this time I was ready, I took up my defensive position and as it lunged I stabbed forward imbedding my spear into its heart. Unfortunately another Varren from the pack grabbed my spear and snapped it with one bite."

"Now a normal person would have given up at this point, but James Vega is anything but normal. I had to rescue Scars."

"Wait how did I get in this story?" Garrus asked with confusion.

"You see the Varren had kidnapped Scars because they had thought he was one of them. I had no choice, Lola wouldn't have backed down here and neither could I. I took them all on in hand to hand combat until finally I was the only one standing. Scars had fainted by seeing the pure strength of the one and only James Vega. When he woke up he had no memory of this ever happening."

His story was so fake and ridiculous but they all laughed anyways. James had a talent for spinning stories and his tale did what it was intended for, it lightened the mood even more so than it had been.

Sometimes that was all that was needed, a stupid joke or story to help everyone forget the hardship they had actually gone through.

For Shepard it seemed to be working.

Every last bit of worry, every stress, all of it had just faded away being reunited with her entire team again. Happy didn't describe the woman right now; it barely even scratched the surface of her emotions.

Her smile had never seemed brighter than it was in this moment, it reached her eyes and made the sky blue gems shine like the first two stars of the night as the sun set behind them.

They were magnificent.

There was so much life behind them, a life the thief had seen glimpses of since she woke up that was now back in all its splendor. To see that life bursting out of her again made Kasumi smile a big smile as she watched her talk to the groups.

Seeing her Shep smiling, hearing her delightful laugh echo across the apartment…it made everything seem right again, like the galaxy wasn't in dire need of repairs. Watching the woman who had not so long ago looked like she was trudging through hell every single moment of each day suddenly laughing and smiling with glints of tears in her eyes was a grand sight.

"_A moment worth remembering._" The voice of Thane echoed in her mind. She still thought about their fallen friends, she wouldn't let their memory die with them. Right now her thoughts were brought to one of the things Thane had told her while she took in every detail of this moment.

He had spoken about the Drell's ability to remember every single moment in his life with perfect clarity, the sights, the smells, the tastes, the sounds. She had once felt bad for him, the ability didn't just let him recall good moments it allowed him to remember every mistake he made on a contract. Every mistake he may have made in his life.

Thinking about the negatives of the ability at the time made her happy she had no such ability, to relive every mistake she made felt like it would destroy her from within. She had a hard enough time with Keiji's death without an ability like the Drell's. She could still remember seeing her blood covered hands, the struggle in his voice as he spoke…his dying breaths.

Kasumi didn't have tons of memories like that, her thievery didn't usually end in deaths or haunting memories but the few she did have she never wanted to relive again. It was one of the reasons she chose thievery over life as an assassin or a mercenary. She loved thievery in general but it usually didn't leave you with things that made it hard to sleep at night, you didn't have to kill unless you absolutely had to.

She had no problem with taking a life; she had done it her fair amount of times against mercenaries, Collectors, Cerberus and Reapers once she met Shepard. The thief just preferred the finesse her line of work had. It allowed her to use her nimbleness and tech specialties in an environment she enjoyed without the sleepless nights an assassin could have.

Looking at this event in front of her now though she couldn't help but understand why the ability to remember the past with such clarity wasn't as bad as she thought it was.

To relive such a moment as this one would be blissful, to be lost in all the feelings this event was giving her would wash away every negative feeling she felt. She would truly never forget this day, there were still many more left in her life that would likely hold grander memories to remember but right now…in this moment she would take every second of bliss it granted and hold onto it.

_You guys left too early, you're all missing one hell of a reunion._

Kaiden finished with his show and dinner was served, after they all ate they spread out across the apartment forming into small groups as they had before. Shepard made her rounds similarly to how she did back on the Normandy and at the last party until she reached Kasumi who had been sitting alone on the upper floor between the bedrooms.

"Hey Shep." She greeted. She had enjoyed the reunion and seeing Shepard happy again but the last two nights she had barely caught any shut eye. The sudden luxury of being able to sleep longer than she had during the war followed by the sudden lack of sleep tired the thief out.

There was so much planning she had to do to get this to work, a lot of things that needed hacking and a lot of work that needed to be done to make this place livable again. She had earned the headache she was fighting against right now and this quiet sanctuary had served as a glorified reprieve from the pain.

"I'm surprised, you snuck off and you're not even going through my underwear again." The woman teased as she sat next to the thief.

Kasumi smiled. The redhead was in great spirits still but she was still worrying about her well-being. Worrying enough to go searching for her across her entire apartment, starting with her closet. "Who says I haven't already?" She teased back.

"Well I did notice they were all expertly folded even though the Citadel was occupied by the Reapers. So that means either the Reapers came here and like to fold underwear or I've been mistaken in guessing you haven't looked through my "girly" underwear." The woman teased again.

Okay so maybe while they were making the apartment livable again she had taken the extra time to fold all of her clothes including her underwear. They were scattered all over the place and she knew how Shepard liked them folded because of the last time she looked through. Kasumi stifled her laugh and hid the pain it caused her headache, "I never said I didn't like them." She retorted.

"So you imagined me just in my underwear?"

The thief had set herself up for that one but that had also set the commander up for her response which was bound to get her to blush. She turned to look at her Shep with a smile, "I've imagined you in much less actually."

"I'm sure it was a magnificent sight." The redhead said.

She was doing her best to stop herself from blushing so the thief decided to push a little further, she had tied the score before and now it was time to get ahead. "Glorious actually. You were covered in sweat, or maybe it was massage oils." The blush was starting to form as she saw the thoughts playing through her Shep's mind, "Maybe it was a mixture of both, maybe we had given each other massages because I was covered in the oily sweaty substance as well or maybe your body being on top of mine had helped to share it. Maybe it was something we were doing that caused me to be sweaty. I don't know." Kasumi looked to her with a smirk, "What do you think it was?"

_Game, set, and match._

"I…er…I don't know it was your damn imagination!" Shepard stumbled trying to come up with a defense.

"Yes it was but I just shared and you thought about it, so what do you think it was?"

Her headache felt like it was subsiding looking into her love interest's eyes; there was just something so calming in them. Right now there were also a lot of lustful thoughts in them which also served to take her mind off the headache. The commander let out a sigh of defeat, "Why do you have to put those thoughts in my head when we still have a week until I can actually do anything."

"Just giving you some ideas to make things interesting." Kasumi replied with a shrug.

"…Are you okay Kasumi? You disappeared after dinner, I thought you were just waiting for the opportune moment to jump into a conversation but…well I found you here." Shepard said.

Aside from the headache and wishing to fall over into Shepard's lap to fall asleep she was doing better than okay. She just really couldn't wait to lie down for the night. "Just tired and I've got a nasty headache, I'll be fine though."

Shepard stood up and grabbed the thief's hand; she stood up following her commander without much argument or question of where they were going. She didn't really care where they were going just as long as her Shep was there with her. "Come on, let's go get some sleep." She said as she brought the thief to the bedroom.

"What about the others? They've missed you." Kasumi argued but didn't offer any restraint. She was just too tired to really put up a fight and didn't mind the idea of lying down with the redhead.

"I already told them after I found you I was heading to bed; most of them are calling it a night already. Lot of late nights and early mornings on the Normandy before they reached the Citadel. Besides." Shepard and Kasumi reached the bed, she pulled back the covers and turned back to the thief, "Tonight was wonderful, one of the best surprises you've given me but…" The N7 held both of the thief's hands and kissed the palm of them both, "I haven't held you or kissed you since we arrived."

Kasumi smiled as she closed the distance between them, "I have been depriving you now haven't I?" She nudged the redheads nose with her own receiving a smile from the woman, she was about to capitalize and kiss her but the thief had other plans. She shifted on her heels so her hip faced her Shep then she gave her lower half a gentle bump before walking towards the bathroom. "I can be so rude sometimes."

It took a moment but the N7 finally recovered from the sudden lack of Kasumi in front of her. "Kasumi." Shepard groaned playfully. The redhead wasn't happy about getting ditched right before her need to kiss the thief was sated but what she was going to do would be better than that single kiss would have been.

"I need to change; I've been sleeping in this armor too much lately." Kasumi said as she entered the bathroom. "And no peeking! That surprise is for another day."

_ A day that will come soon._

* * *

Shepard let out a contented sigh as she kicked off her shoes. Being denied the kiss had at first disappointed her but hearing that the woman she loved was going to change into something other than the armor began to wash away that disappointment. To hear that she already planned to take her hood off for her eventually made her forget about it completely.

The night had been great, surprising but great. All of her crew were unharmed and in good spirits despite being away for so long and going through the war. Kasumi had definitely worked really hard to make this surprise possible, keeping her from being able to hear any of the media, making sure no doctors or nurses aside from Miranda met with her so they didn't slip up.

She smiled to herself as she sat on the bed, _she's a real treasure._ Organizing all of this for her knowing exactly what it meant to her to actually be able to see and talk to her former missing friends. To be able to see that they were in fact okay and no longer out somewhere in the middle of space flying a wrecked ship.

It meant the world to her.

_I hope that old bird will be okay. I have a lot of good memories on that ship. _A repair team was fixing the ship up right now, another thing to thank Kasumi for organizing. She had anonymously informed Hackett of the Normandy's soon arrival and he had gotten repair teams to the ship the moment it docked on the Citadel.

While the ship was likely going to become some sort of symbol for everyone due to its close relation to her and her part in the war the Spectre couldn't help but hope they wouldn't change anything on it. She wanted the SR-2 to remain the same as she had left it; she wanted to be able to do her rounds again visiting all her friends and continue traveling the galaxy as she had.

_Hopefully this time without a rogue Spectre trying to bring back Reapers, Collectors or a Reaper war._ Her entire history on the Normandy was fighting against the Reapers with her friends, she still had great memories on it but she'd be lying if she said she wouldn't mind doing some easy missions for a little while.

The feel of someone moving across the bed brought the commander from her thoughts, before she could look behind her she felt the thief tugging her black wifebeater up. She complied helping her take off her tank top with a small smile as she raised her hands up above her head with her tank top in tow.

She tossed her tank top to the side and then felt something foreign and shocking yet deeply pleasing. Bare hands glided across her stomach making her shudder at the sudden touch and lack of gloves. Kasumi let out a pleased sigh at the same time as she did, both had been waiting for the moment when they'd be able to feel one another's bare skin under their own hands and now that wait was over.

Kasumi pulled her so the N7s back was against her chest allowing Shepard to feel that she was still wearing a shirt of some sort. It didn't have long sleeves of that she was certain before she closed her eyes and leaned back into the woman she loved. The thief guided her head back a bit further before her soft lips gently pressed against her own.

She smiled into the kiss as she brought her hands above her head and wrapped them around the back of the thief's neck. Whatever she was wearing had a hood as well judging on the feeling of cloth under her hands, she had definitely come prepared with some type of comfortable clothes to wear while she slept.

The redhead found herself getting lost in the kiss and the feel of Kasumi's hands running across her abdomen slowly, this was definitely better than the simple kiss they would have shared. Shepard opened her eyes and caught the thief's bottom lip with her teeth nibbling down on it with a smile on her face.

This was a great way to end an already wonderful night.

"Mind if we lie down Shep? My neck at this angle is starting to make my headache worse." Kasumi asked her lip still in the commander's possession.

Shepard sucked on her bottom lip before releasing it and giving the thief a short nod in response. She turned herself around taking in the hooded woman's new attire, she wore a purple loose tank top hoodie that matched her lip paint and still managed to black out most of the top portion of her face. For her bottoms she had on a pair of black shorts that had an N7 badge on the bottom left leg, "Borrowing my shorts as well?" The redhead teased.

The thief smirked, "Why not? They are quite comfortable and they are all I could get on such short notice. You have no idea how hard it was to find this kind of tank top in the time frame I had. I actually had to purchase it instead of stealing it." Kasumi glided her hand up the redhead's arm, "Still being able to touch you without my gloves covering my hands is worth every credit."

Her hand found its way to her shoulder and then to her cheek, her other hand found its way to her other cheek before Kasumi leaned in and kissed her again. The kiss was ended when Shepard felt the thief wince in pain; she grabbed the thief's and pulled herself away. She needed to rest so her headache would pass, "Kasumi you need to rest."

"I'll be fine." She responded.

"No you won't. Your headache is getting worse, have you taken anything?"

"Yes mom."

Shepard gave her a peck before lying down, "Then let's rest." Kasumi sighed and laid down with her head resting on the redhead's chest above her heart. The thief rested her hand on her abdomen and remained silent as she sought out sleep.

Using her omni-tool Shepard turned shut off the lights before closing her own eyes. Rest would certainly come easy tonight. Not only had she worked out with Jack but now she knew her friends were all okay.

Things had once again made themselves whole again.

"Shep?" The redhead hmmed in response, "Your heartbeat sounds so much better than that machines beeping."

She smiled in response to the compliment then gave the thief a kiss on top of her hooded head.

Today was a good day.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The N7 Talons

**A/N: Just a quick note here but the dress I tried to describe is the one FemShep has in place of the leather jacket MaleShep has. Anyway enjoy.**

Today was finally the day.

Today Kasumi finally would be able to take Shepard on their planned date, the redhead was unaware that it was today but she would soon find out. For the thief though she was full of an assortment of emotions. She was definitely nervous, she knew that the job would go smoothly yet the master thief couldn't help but feel that something would go wrong just because it was their date.

A lot of planning had gone into this on her side of things to make sure the casino job went perfectly. Then there was the evening plans that not even Shepard knew she had up her sleeve, if all things went accordingly then the date and the night were going to be amazing.

_Oh yes tonight will certainly be worthwhile_, Kasumi smiled to herself. She had plans, plans she knew would make her dear commander speechless, for a moment or two at least.

Her speechlessness would be of a different nature than seeing the crew alive and well, _and with luck they won't interrupt us. _The week since they arrived had been great, the recovery process for each of them had started and hanging out in the apartment while they were finally being given a break from the war had certainly helped. Shepard was ecstatic to be around every single one of them.

It was hard to remember sometimes with how tough the woman was but she had lost her entire family and friends back on Mindoir what surely felt like a millennia ago to her. The Normandy squad from her original days to now was her family now. There was their crazy head-butting Uncle Urdnot Wrex, the mother and father of the Normandy team in the form of Doctor Chakwas and Engineer Adams. Then there was their wise grandmother in the form of Samara though Kasumi wasn't ever going to call the Justicar that to her face.

Each one of them filled in a spot on the family tree and to have all of her family in one place made the N7 happier than Liara at a Prothean dig site, and that was a feat worth noting. Being around them again and falling back into the familiarity they all held with one another was great, but Kasumi had plans tonight and having the Normandy squad occupying the apartment would make it a bit awkward.

Overall despite being nervous about the casino date and the wonder if the crew would show up in the evening Kasumi felt extremely excited. Her heart was racing along as she thought about finally being able to do this. At first when they had originally spoke of doing this it had all just been a joke, Shepard teasing the thief because she hadn't realized how the redhead had grown to care for her.

Now it was becoming reality with each passing second.

Not only was she excited for the after date surprise she had ready but per the deal they had she was going to be seeing Shepard in a dress again.

A sight that she couldn't wait to see once more.

The first dress Kasumi had ever forced her to wear was for sneaking in to rob Hock and way before the strong feelings they felt now had ever surfaced. It was funny in its own way that both times she forced the battle hardened soldier to wear a dress was for robbing someone.

Thinking back to the first time she had seen her in a dress the thief had acknowledged to herself that the woman looked damn beautiful in a dress and had ogled a little as she did the first time she had seen her without her shirt on.

This time around though she would be looking at her differently than she had before, this time around she would be admiring the beauty of the woman who had fallen in love with her and who she herself had now fallen deeply in love with herself.

Kasumi's smile grew larger, she had danced around the word herself attempting to use it only to describe how the redhead felt for her or calling her a love interest. At first she had done it just in case for some strange reason things didn't work out, after it had just become habit.

Finally using the word love and realizing that she really was in love with Shepard felt so good, her chained heart no longer held any chains. It belonged to her Shep now and she hoped to prove that very soon with everything she had planned.

_I'll tell her today when I find the right moment to make it more than just words._

Now it was just waiting for Shepard to finish her shower so they could go get started. She was essentially at one hundred percent and ready to do more than the physical therapy she had been doing and the boot camp that Jack had been putting her through. Hopefully they still had more time before she had to go back to being Commander Shepard solver of political problems and hero of the galaxy.

They all knew it was only a matter of time before they could no longer take a break from the duties they had, the galaxy still needed Commander Shepard and her team right now. As selfish as it sounded Kasumi wanted more time with the redhead and the crew without having to participate in the recovery effort.

After all the hard work their leader had done and then all the hard work the crew itself had done she believed they were owed at least a vacation for more than a few weeks. While the selfish part of her wanted that she also couldn't wait to step foot back on the Normandy again.

That was a home away from home for everyone who had spent time aboard it. There was just something majestic about the SR-2 and each trip on board guaranteed memories that would last a lifetime. Until then she was going to enjoy being selfish and spending time with her friends and the woman she loved.

Shepard still had some time until she had to resume her duties anyway, with how well Bailey was holding off everyone and Hackett having yet to call her to duty it seemed their shore leave was going to last longer than anticipated. Add on Miranda and Chakwas still wanting their commander to take it easy before jumping into the stress of her duties or the combat arena for a warm-up and it looked like they wouldn't be stepping foot on the Normandy for a while.

A little thievery wouldn't hurt her though and neither would the second half of the thief's plan. _I'll be gentle. _Kasumi stifled her laugh at her own thought.

Those thoughts would have to wait a little longer, first off was doing what she did best. Thievery was her specialty and it had been her life ever since she had taken it up, she didn't do it because she didn't know any better, she did it for the love of it. Now the thief was about to relish in what she loved with who she loved.

She hadn't felt so giddy about a simple job in a long time. The thrill she had building up in her over a casino that she knew would be a cake walk felt amazing, Kasumi couldn't remember the last time she felt so excited over something so easy. She had robbed this casino before which made breaking in again so much easier and now she was going back with not only her Shep but a crew of professionals as well.

The crew that was coming to help them had been on the frontlines of the Reaper war but before that she had worked with their leader on some huge heists that all ended in success without so much as an alarm raised or a guard notified.

She was a master of her craft and the leader of the crew she had contacted was a master as well. He was one of the few people she trusted and called friend before meeting the Normandy squad, he hadn't started out as a thief and the jobs he did pull were just when she called on him and his squad. Still he had never let her down on a job and never left anyone behind.

He and his crew would handle most of the heavy lifting on this simple job while Kasumi would enjoy her time with Shepard and take on the simpler parts of the heist. She loved to steal but she loved Shepard as well and the prize she was stealing had more value than all the credits the casino had.

The master thief was stealing away Anastasia Shepard from all others who wanted her time and attention, that was a prize no one else would have today.

If things went to plan it would just be Kasumi taking her Shep out on a date to the casino where they would gamble a little, maybe dance if she could be convincing, and steal a few credits to give to the relief efforts. Doing this also helped to make sure that the hero of the war wasn't caught doing anything that would harm her reputation.

Then again this casino was still being stingy with their credits and not donating to help anyone so maybe they had it coming.

All the credits they were going to get from the heist were going to help out with the recovery shelters, the clinics and all the other areas that they could donate credits to. The amount of credits the casino had stored up before the end of the war and after was a rather large cache, they weren't going to go in and bankrupt the place but they could certainly be a bit more generous.

There were still shelters in dire need of credits to pay for food, supplies and electricity. Mostly everyone was working together but that didn't stop the companies from making a profit, small or large, from the recovery.

Almost all companies had lowered their prices to help but there were some, like the casino, that were being greedy with their supplies. Jacking up prices to try and recoup any losses they had made or just hording what credits they had so they could live it up while others were scraping by.

It wasn't that much of a surprise that it was going on. Some people just couldn't get past looking at what their profits would be or giving up some luxury's so others didn't suffer as much.

_And that's where I come in._

Thievery was what Kasumi knew best and now she was turning that skill into a force of good.

Or as good as stealing could be considered.

Maybe it was seeing Thane use his skillset as a force of good to make the galaxy a brighter place before he died that started the change. Maybe it was using her skills to help people during the war effort that helped to sway her to continue using her skills in such a manor. They were both probably a part of it but deep down Kasumi knew the real reason for why she felt this way about using her skills.

The thief looked over to the bathroom where the shower had just been shut off, Shepard had changed her whether she knew it or not. When she had originally just thieved for the fun and love of it, the war had brought a lot of things into perspective.

There were a lot of people out there right now that who hadn't got off as easy as she had. People who had lost their friends and loved ones to the Reapers, people who needed help financially just so they could feed their kids or needed credits and technology that they couldn't get because someone out there was being greedy. While some of the galaxy needed to see Shepard and her kind of help there was only so much she could do.

Once the relays were fixed the thief had no doubt that the Council and the Alliance would send out the N7 on some sort of mission to help. It would be something like cleaning up Cerberus stragglers like she had with the Geth after the attack on the Citadel what felt like eons ago.

Kasumi planned to be on the Normandy with Shepard this time around for whatever type of mission they sent her on and as they scoured the galaxy she would find people that needed her brand of help.

Shepard suddenly came walking out of the bathroom wearing an iridescent black mixed with blue dress that had two red stripes coming from her hips moving down to the edge. It showed her chest from her neck down to the top of her breasts with an N7 badge on the right shoulder strap. Around her neck the redhead wore a three chained silver necklace that glimmered when the light hit it.

In the redhead's hand was a pair of heels as she walked towards the thief wearing a small smile on her face, "So I take it we're going on a date since you stole my causal clothes and replaced them with this?" She asked motioning to her dress and jingling the heels in her hand.

Kasumi couldn't help but stare with a smile taking form, seeing Shepard in a dress again was better than it was the first time. "Yep. Don't worry I didn't peek." The thief responded with a wink as she stood up.

She herself was wearing her new purple tank top hoodie and black pants similar to her armor just without the extra padding, and of course the N7 tags she had yet to give back. The thief couldn't take her eyes off the redhead though.

She looked stunning and the dress accented her beautiful body in all the right ways, it did look a bit tighter than she had thought it would be. "Though I must say this dress seems to be tighter than it was meant to be…" Kasumi allowed her eyes to trace over the N7s body trailing up her gorgeous bare legs to her curvy hips and across her small confined breasts. She finally made it up her bare chest and to her beautiful face. "Can't say that I'm complaining though."

The N7 chuckled as she approached her; the thief's eyes traced the redheads amazing lips wishing to feel their velvety goodness against her own again. The sky blue gems held their own share of glee and desire of not only seeing Kasumi admire her in the dress but to pull her in close and kiss her like it was their last kiss.

Despite what Shepard would say about wearing a dress she was definitely enjoying the way the thief stared at her in awe of her beauty. "This is the last time I'm wearing one of these things, if you plan on getting me in another ever again you are going to have to be _very _persuasive."

_Persuasive? _Kasumi smiled to herself, _oh I can be persuasive. _It sounded a little like a challenge for another day but for now it was just becoming challenging to not act on the urge to pull her in close than lay her down on the bed and forget all about the date they had planned.

Instead of doing what her thoughts were telling her to do the thief leaned in brushing her lips against the commander's cheek before stopping next to her ear. "You're not the only one with a tongue that can work wonders." She teased before backing away to see a small blush tinting her Shep's cheeks. Kasumi rested her hands on both sides of the N7s neck as she stepped closer. "You look amazing."

The N7 always looked beautiful but right now Kasumi felt her heart pumping faster looking at such beauty face to face. A beauty that had chosen her despite the thief not realizing the feelings she held until she had nearly died and even then she still loved her. To be the person that she loved was a privilege, she wanted to prove worthy of that privilege, to show that she too loved her more than words could express.

No sappy romance novel she had read had the words to help her describe the feelings in her heart. They were something that Kasumi felt had to be shown instead of explained and right now she really wanted to show how she felt.

Shepard kissed her on the lips in response before stepping back and sitting down to get her heels on. Kasumi let her hands drop and sighed internally at the sudden lack of touch, she enjoyed the feeling of her Shep's soft skin under her un-gloved hands.

She wanted to push the N7 onto her back after undressing her and run her hands across her body and feel every inch of her. She wanted to straddle her hips and pin the redhead's hands above her head as she kissed every part of her body that she could reach from that position.

Kasumi watched Shepard slip her feet into the heels, her feet looked so delicate for someone who trudged through the most hellish fights there were. The thief wasn't usually one for feet but she'd be a liar if she said she didn't want to kiss them as well.

Her gaze moved to the sky blue eyed commanders long red hair that was draped over her shoulders as she focused on getting her shoes on. The thick red hair hung over her shoulders brushing across her bare legs as she bent over putting her shoes on making the thief envy the strands for their luck.

The sudden urge to forget about the casino took over.

Kasumi knelt down right as Shepard finished getting her heels on, before the redhead could stand up the thief rested her hands on her bare thighs then let them glide slowly down to the inner part of them. She received a confused but satisfied look from the redhead; Kasumi moved her hands back to the top of her legs then ran them up onto the clothed part of her thighs.

"Kasumi wha-mmmm." Her question was muffled by the thief's lips pressing against hers. Shepard leaned into the thief deepening their kiss while Kasumi herself lifted her up and moved them further onto the bed. She laid down in-between her legs and intertwined their fingers before pinning them above her head.

There was no debate from her Shep about stopping to go on their date, just a pleased hum as a sign to not stop now. Shepard wrapped her legs around Kasumi's waist pulling her body further into her own. Shepard bit the thief's lip then released, "Skipping the date and going straight to the main event? Unorthodox." The redhead smiled, "I like it."

The N7 was just too damn beautiful right now for her to resist any longer. Kasumi kissed her slowly then broke off the kiss. "I thought you might."

Unfortunately the crew they were going to meet was ready.

"Ahem!" Someone clearing their voice from her omni-tool stopped the pair. Only one person could open up a vid link to the thief without her actually accepting the message, _patience is not a virtue of his. _Both women broke off their kiss and sat up to look at their interrupter via omni-tool. "Sorry to interrupt this…professional meeting but me and my crew are waiting for the two of you so we can start this job."

"Moment killer." Kasumi groaned. She leaned back to rest on her knees after the commander released her from her firm legs grasps and looked to her omni-tool where purple eyes were staring at her in amusement. "Ghost you really need to learn to not be so on time now and then in your day to day life."

He shrugged. _And allow people to have moments like these in peace._ Kasumi glanced back to Shepard who was resting on her elbows and wearing her beautiful smile. When she noticed the thief looking she licked her lips and ran her right knee and thigh up her side. "Ah where's the fun in that when being punctual stops others from getting…_distracted_." The pair spared a glance to one another flashing bashful smirks.

They had a habit of getting interrupted as they kissed or in this case as they were about to do more than kiss. "We'll be waiting outside of the casino for you two love birds. Ghost out." He ended the connection leaving the two women wanting to continue where they left off but unable too with their prior commitment to a date of thievery.

"Ghost?" Shepard asked quizzically.

"It's the only name I've ever known. I don't think anyone but his crew knows his real name." The people of his crew that she had actually met never slipped up either, the moment they left their ship he was Ghost and no longer whatever his real name was. He trusted her but not being a part of his crew who were his inner circle left her only knowing that name. "They're going to do most of the heavy lifting so you and I can have some time to ourselves instead of me having to hide while you mingle." Kasumi responded.

Ghost was an enigma; no one outside of his crew really knew who he was or where he came from. He was more secretive than Kasumi was and one hundred times as deadly. If you threatened his friends and he believed that you could act on that threat it was likely you were either going to be the victim of a hard beating or dead.

The only thing the thief knew about his past was that he and his crew had once been Blue Suns but a job had gone wrong and the group left. She doubted it had really been that easy but he and his squad chose not to speak about it anymore.

If she could judge body language and facial features as good as she thought than whatever had happened was very bad, a bad similar to losing a friend or finding out that they had done something very wrong like participating in the slave trade. If that had happened then Kasumi felt bad for whoever was on the receiving end of the purple eyed fighter's anger.

They had grown in strength after leaving the Suns and once the war started they offered their service to the Alliance for free. Now, as far as Kasumi knew, they were officially a part of the Alliances N7 special ops and had no aspirations of leaving until their help was no longer needed.

"Okay." Shepard sat up and kissed the thief. _I wish we could stay here and continue. _With a sigh she got off the bed and helped the redhead up, after fixing her dress she wrapped her arm around the thief's waist before pulling her in so they were chest to chest. She cupped Kasumi's cheek and began caressing it with her thumb, "I'll suffer through heels for you then as long as it means I get to be with you more."

Kasumi smiled and found herself leaning into the woman's hand more and more with each passing second. She was excited to go on this date with her Shep yet she couldn't help but wish that they had just come back from their date. The thief wanted to push her back down onto the bed, take off her dress and continue where they had left off.

Lips pressing against her own interrupted the thief's thoughts, the feel of the lips, her tongue, it made Kasumi feel like she was melting in Shepard's hands. She let out a muffled whimper; she wanted to do so much more than kiss her Shep.

The N7 smiled into the kiss before breaking it off, "The sooner we go on our date the sooner you can strip me out of these heels and dress and make all those thoughts reality. Besides." She smiled, "You said your tongue can work wonders and I intend to find out."

A small blush made its way to the thief's face; she had set herself up for that one and had forgotten about it completely. "Well I guess I can't argue with that kind of logic."

With that the pair set off to meet Ghost and his crew outside of the casino. For someone who liked to complain about dresses and heels Shepard knew how to walk and wear them both like a pro. Not once did she trip or stumble during their walk nor did she look like they were causing her any pain. _Not to mention how the dress shows off her body perfectly. _Kasumi smiled to herself as she glanced to her side where Shepard was.

The N7 held her hand as they walked looking just as happy as Kasumi was. She had never truly realized just how happy being with Shepard had made her until she had thought her friend had died. Now that they were together again and in a more intimate relationship the thief couldn't help but shake her head at her oblivious past self.

This happiness was so much better than staring into oblivion thinking that Keiji was the only person that could ever make her smile. She had been ignorant to think that when Shepard had always made her smile and laugh, when she had always made her happy.

Keiji never would have wanted her to sulk and stare into his memories thinking of could have beens and wish I hads, he had told her to destroy the memories but she wasn't ready to let go and Shepard had known that.

Kasumi missed him still, he would always hold a place in her heart but her Shep had undid all the locks around her heart like a master thief and now held it in her hands. The memories within her own mind of her time with Keiji would remind her to make the best of every day she had with Shepard so she never held the regrets she held over his loss.

She would let herself fall in love again and she wouldn't hold anything back.

The duo reached the front of the Silver Coast Casino but to the thief's surprise no one was waiting for them. She looked around for Ghost or anyone she recognized from his crew but found none in sight. "Strange, he never shows up late especially when he says he's waiting for you." Kasumi said thoughtfully.

The man was insufferably punctual and if he told you he'd meet you somewhere you could bet he'd be waiting right in the open waiting for you. "Do you think he started without us?" Shepard asked.

It was doubtful, he wasn't one to be that impatient and he knew this was really for Kasumi and Shepard to spend time together on a promised date they made. "Kasumi…and Commander Shepard?" A voice called from behind them. Kasumi turned around to see a Turian in a black and white suit with his own set of N7 tags around his neck. He was a darker than Garrus in skin tone just not as dark as the Turian Councilor, the marking on his face were black and his eyes were a steel blue.

"Darian?" Kasumi asked. She had never seen the Turian outside of his armor but she knew Ghost's second in command's eyes anywhere. His intense steel blue eyes seemed like they could cut into your very soul if he felt like it.

The Turian nodded in greeting to the thief, "Ghost sends his apologies for not meeting with you both in person. There's been a slight hiccup in our planned evening."

A hiccup was Ghost's way of saying that shit had hit the fan; he was one of the most understating people she knew outside of Shepard. "What kind of hiccup?" Shepard asked.

"Ghost didn't mention everything to me just told me to meet you two and bring you to him." He motioned them to follow him into the casino. "If I can judge the look in his eyes correctly I'd say Admiral Hackett contacted him with another mission." Darian answered.

That didn't sound good. If Hackett had contacted him for a mission then it was likely of the utmost importance. _Hiccup is definitely a nice way of putting what is going on. Wonder just how bad it really is. At least if things don't work out here we can head back to the apartment and continue where we left off. _"I noticed you wear an N7 badge; I didn't know there were any Turian's that were in the Alliance military?" Shepard stated as a question.

The Turian chuckled to himself, "Yeah well I didn't know Commander Shepard wore a dress and heels either so I guess we're all full of surprises." Kasumi snickered at the furrowed brow Shepard had. "In all seriousness though we were on the frontlines during the war stationed in London for the final push under Anderson's command."

"Because of our unique abilities to kick ass and save lives we were designated as an N7 special operations task force in name only at first. Pulled Anderson and Major Coats out of a hotspot once and soon after everyone started thinking we were real N7s. Glad that tough bastard pulled through, he's a good man."

He wasn't the only one who was happy, Shepard and Kahlee Sanders were only two of the many people who were ecstatic to see the Admiral up and going. "What happened after that?" Shepard asked.

The Turian let out a sigh as he rubbed the back of his neck, that was one of Darian's tells when something seriously bad went down. He had done the same thing when she had asked about why they had left the Blue Suns and the area he rubbed was where he once had a Blue Suns tattoo. "A lot of bad shit. Saw a lot of good men die out there. Once you and your team made it to London we were called out of the field to join it, we didn't actually get there though. On the way to the F.O.B. we found a squad of soldiers and biotic teenagers holding off against swarms of husks."

"Did they happen to have a tattooed woman with an attitude as a teacher?" Kasumi asked.

"Well…yeah. She one of yours?" Darian questioned. Both women nodded with smiles, Jack had failed to mention this but obviously things hadn't turned out to bad. All her kids had made it according to the biotic teacher and with Ghost and his guys stopping to help them there was little chance anything would get past them.

"Huh small galaxy. Anyway Ghost called in to Anderson as we defended them and told him that we weren't going to make it in time for the push. Held off against a few swarms of Husks, Cannibals, Marauders and Banshees until you fired the Crucible. Didn't lose one soldier or teenager."

Kasumi hmmed in response, they had certainly turned their lives around from mercenaries to being an N7 special ops group. "The final push had gone pretty screwy." The redhead said softly.

_Understatement of the century Shep. _"I heard." The Turian responded. The final push had resulted in numerous casualties with Shepard and Anderson being the only two in terrible shape to make it into the beam. That was more than pretty screwy. "It's a shame how many good men lost their lives thanks to the Reapers…but the war is over and you made that sacrifice worth something. You gave their families and friends a chance to live without the threat of the Reapers, it's the most people in our line of work can ask for."

There was a small understanding silence between the group as the climbed the stairs to the upper bar and dance floor. In the kind of war they fought all they could do was make the sacrifices made worthwhile, there was no other way around it. The Reapers were giant death bringers, there had been no way to save them all not without being able to build the Crucible in advance and fire it the moment they showed up.

"Anyway after that and after the comms got fixed up we got a priority message from Hackett to meet him on the Citadel. Our ship and pilots had survived the blast and dog fighting with severe damage to the ship though against the Reapers I'd say they did pretty well. It was hell getting that ship on Earth and off but they picked us up and brought us here. Hackett gave us each these tags and named us the first cross-species N7 team of the Alliance. Something about olive branches."

"What kind of missions has Hackett sent you on since?" Shepard asked.

"Well for a while we were watching after you and your squad. He knew your team could protect you but he wanted to make sure you all were safe."

The extra protection was nice to know about but they hadn't seen a single soul who wanted any of them dead. Kind of a waste of man power in Kasumi's eyes definitely the kind of man power Ghost and his crew could give. "From who?" Kasumi asked.

"Who indeed." A familiar voice answered. All three looked to see a human, a Krogan, an Asari, and a Batarian. The human was Ghost and his purple eyes shown through his hooded tuxedo. The others were a part of his team though Kasumi didn't know their names. "Darian you see anything strange on the way in?"

"A few humans who looked rather suspicious but they might have been cheating." The Turian answered.

The purple eyed leader brought his hand to his chin as a thoughtful but troubled look crossed his features. Something was definitely up. "What's going on Ghost?" Kasumi asked.

He smiled. He wasn't about to give up his information with ease, not while Shepard was unaware of who they all were. "We'll get to that shortly. Commander Shepard nice to finally meet the woman who saved all our asses." Ghost extended his hand forward for a handshake, "Names Ghost." The redhead shook his hand then took her place back next to Kasumi. "These are my men, and mono-gendered, compatriots."

"Asshole." The Asari slapped his arm with a smile on her face.

"You've met my second in command Darian so I'll skip over him and introduce you to the others, this." He pointed to the suit wearing Krogan, "Is Kar. He's our big cuddle teddy bear." The Krogan barked out a laugh as he slugged his leaders arm. "If you need something shot or destroyed beyond all recognition he's your man."

He was as large as Grunt and Wrex were with a giant faded and scarred blue headplate and for some reason Kasumi doubted he was a cuddle teddy bear. Shepard and Kasumi smiled and nodded in greeting regardless, he seemed like a nice enough guy so far so maybe he actually was a cuddle teddy bear who like to hit and destroy things.

Ghost pointed to the tux wearing Batarian at the bar next, "That's Gallick over there. He may seem rough but he's a good guy and tough bastard. He's our heavy weapons specialist and all around brawler, you want a good bar fight he'd be your man to follow." The Batarian raised his glass in response, he had a dark grey skin tone with a scar over his top left eye which he also was blind out of by the looks of it.

"And this lovely eye candy is Tara." Ghost said as he hooked his arm in hers.

Kasumi had known he was with an Asari she just didn't realize it was this one. She was definitely very pretty, she was a dark blue with red markings similar to the Asari Councilors on her face and by the red creeping up her shoulders she had a red back tattoo. Her dress was similar to Shepard's only hers was silver and went all the way to the floor. "Best engineer I know and one hell of a powerful biotic. The other five of my crew are back on the Setting Sun doing repairs. We're the N7 Talons."

The Setting Sun was their ship and if Kasumi remembered correctly it was a Turian ship similar to the first Normandy in maneuverability and size. "Talons? Like the merc group?" Shepard questioned.

The purple eyed leader let out a sigh, "I knew Nyreen. Tough woman but a damn good fighter and friend. I guess you can say that's where I borrowed the name from, an in memory kind of thing."

Shepard nodded in understanding; she had been there on Omega when Nyreen sacrificed herself to kill the Adjutants. Kasumi had learned about the Turian woman during one of their random conversations after the war ended. She was an honorable sort based on what Shepard had told her and her Talons were as honorable as they were because of her. "Now that the introductions are out of the way we've got a date to help with and a mission from the old man to pull off at the same time."

"What mission did Hackett give you?" Shepard asked.

Ghost's face turned serious, "We have Intel that says a few Cerberus officers in hiding are here tonight and the owner is one of them as well. He wants us to bring them in." So Cerberus stragglers had taken over the casino and were likely using it to try to fund something. _Definitely makes sense to send Ghost and his guys after them. They won't let them escape and he won't let them hurt anyone here. _"He doesn't know you're here so if you two don't want in just say the word."

Kasumi didn't mind helping to bring down some of the bastards that nearly screwed them all over during the war but in the end she wasn't sure if Shepard wanted to. She looked to her commander in question only to find a smile on her face, "Shep what do you want to do? I'm all for helping if you are."

"Let's go hunting." The N7 said with a predatory smile.

Ghost and his squad all smiled in response and Kasumi couldn't help but grin to herself.

This date was going to be fun.

**A/N: I'm curious, if I click the reply to review button and use the PM message sender thing that pops up does it always go through? I only ask because I used to respond to reviews in these than I found that button and started responding there then I had the sudden thought that people may not actually be getting them. It says sent so I assume that it is I just don't want someone to review and then not get my message, I'd feel like a total rude asshole for that when I do actually appreciate the reviews whether they be criticism or compliments. I might just be paranoid about technology but if someone has insight to that like if people can block PMs and if they did it would tell me or not I'd appreciate it if you let me know. Even almost a year of posting on this site I still don't really know a lot about it.**

**In other news I'd like to thank you all for reading, faving, following and reviewing so far. I've had a lot of fun writing this story and its really worked out a lot better than I had planned considering I've winged most of this since the idea started out as a oneshot or whatever it is called when it is just one chapter long. Thank you all for the support though, I truly never thought I'd have the success, regardless of how small it may seem, on this story or my other story. Sending out chapters and then seeing how many pings they get when I come back on the next week is awesome for me when I held such little confidence in my writing capabilities and I hope as I continue to write that it continues to get better, so thank you for helping me give the pessimist within myself the finger. **

**On a huge detour side note I'm totally nerding out with E3 so if I disappear its from a nerdattack and/or a heart attack caused from nerding out, probably won't get rid of me that easily though if I've survived the new Mass Effect, Star Wars, Fallout 4 and all the other cool games revealed. This author note is a bit longer than I wanted so I'll end it now, have a good one and I'll see you next time.**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Full of Surprises

Cerberus was in shambles thanks to Shepard taking down the Illusive Man's base, his assassin, the Illusive Man himself and tons of his goons. It was still an ideal that wouldn't be put out easily or maybe even ever but for now the terrorist organization was having trouble trying to get their feet under them.

The husked out Cerberus officers were dead as far as Kasumi knew, they didn't survive the Crucible with all the Reaper tech implanted or were killed back on their main base when Shepard decided to clean house and get the Prothean V.I. That didn't mean everyone was dead though, there were still a plentiful amount of operatives like Petrovsky who didn't have that kind of tech implanted in them.

For these remaining members trying to figure out current leadership and how to regain the structure they once had was now the issue. It was a classic disorganized frenzy where you had those who believed they were entitled to leadership breaking off from the main group in an attempt to reform the "real" Cerberus. Then you had those who believed it was time to change Cerberus from the ground up according to how they believed it should have worked.

All this infighting really caused more confusion than they already had and by doing so they made for easier targets. Until the remaining officers found structure they wouldn't be able to cause any real damage. _And if Ghost's side comments were anything to go by then he's been personally making sure they didn't get any control of their spiraling ship on the Citadel._

The purple eyed leader had given his crew shore leave for the most part after meeting Hackett; he believed they deserved a break so he personally had been taking missions from the Admiral. That didn't mean his crew had taken all the time off, they had certainly been working by either joining their leader on missions or repairing their ship.

The current four members with him only made up half of his squad; with their leader included their ground squad was ten strong plus their miscellaneous crew members who helped to keep the ship running.

The other five members of his ground squad consisted of another Turian who served as their pilot named Carson, two humans, a male and female named Brad and Whitney, a Drell named Grissom who was their medic and judging on the jokes he had once been an assassin, and finally another Asari who was also Tara's sister named Valera, she was the other pilot but no one dared to call her co-pilot out of fear of reprisal.

Even though Carson and Valera were the pilots that didn't mean they couldn't fight as Ghost explained to Shepard and Kasumi. Both of them were fierce fighters in the field and had watched his back just as well as the rest of his crew. It wasn't that the women doubted him; they were just so used to having a pilot with brittle bones that it took a few seconds to sink in.

Brad and Whitney were the crews resident hotheads, Ghost wasn't sure exactly what their deal was but he told them that they were constantly at ends with one another. Brawling was a common thing to find the two doing but once they were out in the field they took that energy and put it against their enemies.

As for Grissom he was a polite person and their medic but didn't take people harming innocents or his friends lightly. Kar had explained what happened rather simply, _"He'll kill you." _The Drell held those he cared for close to his heart and harming them was like signing your own death warrant.

Shepard and Kasumi had yet to meet any of them only hearing about them from their leader once they had agreed to the mission. He had contacted them to take position outside of the casino and blend in until he gave word to move. The five of them were going to, as Ghost put it, "grab and drag" the operatives the squad inside the casino marked for them.

The Cerberus operatives in this casino had some sort of plan going and had managed to create a foothold secretly, well until now that was. Kasumi was unsure if they were part of the "real" Cerberus group or those trying to rebuild the organization to how they believed it should have worked but in the end it really didn't matter.

Today they were going to take them down and hopefully if their group had more going than this casino they would spill the information to the Alliance before they gave Ghost and his squad sanction to pry the information from them _"the fun way"_ according to Gallick.

Kasumi doubted it would be much fun for the Cerberus agents.

The last thing a human-centric terrorist organization agent wanted was to be stuck in a room with a Batarian, a Krogan, and a Turian who would likely be given full sanction by their human leader to do what they pleased. She doubted the torture would really work though, they may give information up but it was unlikely that it would be fully accurate.

Even if Cerberus was in shambles they were all trained to resist torture, only smarter agents, like Petrovsky, knew when to fold and take a sentencing. Cooperation with the Alliance meant they would be protected from their former cohorts and have the easy three meals a day and a free bed life. Cooperation with Ghost and his squad meant you were allowed to continue to live with your body intact and you would eventually be taken to an Alliance prison.

That threat alone probably wouldn't be enough though and the threat of his men torturing probably wouldn't be either. For all the bad Cerberus was the thief couldn't deny their stubbornness to not stop while they were ahead. She was sure their initial plan would be to use the cyanide capsule or the ocular flashbang but once they were captured by Ghost they would find that option taken away.

From there it would be figuring out how to get the information. It was probable that Ghost would know that torture and threats of allowing his men full sanction without really caring if they killed them or not as a way to get them to talk wouldn't work. He would probably hope that maybe self-preservation would win out or maybe with the promise that they would get a cozy cell instead of a broken body they would give up any information but she knew him well.

He planned for when those hopes would fail.

Kasumi was no interrogator or a master of making people give up important information, it was a rough job that you either had the personality for or not. She wasn't someone who could play bad cop or one who could inflict torture knowing it probably wouldn't work. She could kill when she had too but torture seemed way too far.

As for when they captured these agents the thief held no doubt they would talk. No matter how stubborn they were there was no matching the patience and stubbornness Ghost had. Once that man was given a mission to get something like accurate Intel there was no way he would not provide.

The purple eyed leader knew how to get people to talk with or without actually threatening to torture or torturing. Kasumi knew he could play a vicious bad cop but she knew he could also play a superb good cop. He became your best buddy in the entire galaxy and the moment he got into your mind you were done for.

Alas the thief was getting a bit ahead of herself; they had yet to capture anyone so thinking about what was probably an inevitable outcome was pointless. First they had to go through with the job before anyone was faced with Ghost and his skills to get information.

What made it an inevitable outcome was the plan Ghost had come up with. It was a rather simple plan but it was still a plan that would make the Cerberus agents look like a bunch of amateurs instead of trained killers.

He gave Shepard a set of contacts to wear that were programmed to scan faces and send him information about each one giving him every detail he would need to pinpoint who was Cerberus and who was not.

Tara, Kar, Gallick, and Darian were spread out through the casino blending in as best as they could, each were waiting for the word to plant a tracker on the Cerberus agents all the while placing hacking programs on anything that made credits from Quasar to Varren racing.

They had yet to come up with a plan to get the leader of the group but for now they were focusing on getting trackers on the ones they could find. This was a more immediate goal that way his other squad members could track them if they left during the job. If they did leave they were in for a nasty surprise from the remaining five members of his squad who were now waiting for them outside of the casino.

Ghost didn't say what kind of surprise it was, he just gave an amused smile and told both women that they would be "grabbed and dragged." The more detailed explanation of exactly how they would do said grab and drag were left for their imagination.

Both women let it slide; he mostly remained cryptic because he found it funny to watch others furrow their brows in confusion so there was no hope of getting more information out of him.

Kasumi was behind Shepard right now with her arms wrapped around her waist as she rested her head on the redheads shoulder. She was taking in the moment and all her senses imprinting everything from the feel of the redhead's skin and dress under her hands to the delicious smell of her thick red hair and taste of her lips.

It was amazing spending this time with her in such a normal state, they still were taking part in the mission but Ghost had yet to give them the word to start searching for people. A little normalcy after everything that had happened continued to be some of the best kind of recovery possible.

Normal was truly the best revenge against the Reapers and Cerberus possible. Both were two evils who had caused chaos, pain and fear on everyone in the galaxy yet here Commander Shepard stood perfectly content playing Quasar with no fear or stress.

It added insult to injury that she survived and was happy and it was an insult Kasumi was happy to continue to supply.

The Quasar machine began to ring bringing the Kasumi from her thoughts to the glowing twenty in front of the redhead. She kissed her bare shoulder as the woman gave a joyful laugh at her good luck. Her laugh made the thief's heart flutter, her laugh sounded like a harp being strummed in a melodic pattern flowing through her ears and into her heart strumming her own heart chords.

Calling her laugh lovely didn't do it justice.

Shepard had a strange brand of luck when it came to the game getting twenties for a while followed by a few eighteens and nineteen's before hitting twenties again. She had hit a few twenty ones which curbed people from thinking she was cheating but overall she had scored a lot of credits without stealing them.

The machine began to ring again when she hit another twenty; Shepard turned her head to the thief with a smile on her face. Her smile was beautiful as always, it was something she looked forward to seeing every day now. There was just something about it that made her want to do everything in her power to make the redhead smile at every moment she could. "You must be my lucky charm."

The thief gave her a kiss on the cheek as she smiled herself. "Maybe I am. Does that mean you're going to start rubbing my belly for good luck?"

She laughed again making the flutters in Kasumi's chest start again. "I was thinking more of kissing you for good luck but if it's rubbing your belly I'll do it." Her smile turned playful, "Or I'll go a bit further south for both ideas, might be luckier."

Warmth began to rise up the thief's neck and suddenly it felt like someone had put a heater in her hood. Her imagination got off its chain and images that were distracting, yet still enjoyable, played through her mind. Shepard's bare body on top of her own as they kissed was one, another was the redhead kissing her way down her body before she capped off the thoughts.

This was really not the place or the time to be having these thoughts. It would only fuel the urge to drag Shepard out of the casino by force leaving Ghost and his guys to do the job on their own. "Might be. Better not misplace me then." She teased trying recover from all the thoughts that bombarded her.

"How could I misplace someone so precious to me?" The redhead's look turned loving, she brought her hand to the thief's cheek cupping it and bringing their faces closer to one another. "I love you Kasumi Goto."

The look in Shepard's eyes made Kasumi's heart beat faster than it already was; her words made her knees feel like they could give out at any moment. She knew that the N7 loved her but the way she said it and the way her eyes bore into her soul filling her with all the love she felt for her, it made her heart swell to drastic proportions.

"I lov-"

"Sorry to interrupt ladies but this mission officially is a go." Ghost interrupted her.

_Talk about a moment killer._ Kasumi groaned inwardly,she had finally been about to say the words and Ghost interrupted. _I know he's just trying to get us through this mission so we can enjoy ourselves. _The thief groaned inwardly again, _but damn it he could have given us a few more seconds before interrupting._

He was in his mission mode though, he was here to help them but with the mission to get these Cerberus agents ready to go he wasn't going to waste any precious moments. Waiting could mean missing a mark and then they'd have to go searching around the Citadel for someone who would become aware that they were coming.

Shepard smiled lovingly to her knowing she was about to say the words and really mean them, even with the interruption the words had meaning to them in her eyes. It was the first time she had ever said the words aloud. Kasumi knew she loved her Shep now but she hadn't verbally told her yet.

She had planned to tell her during this date and mission when the words would mean more than a simple statement, it had almost worked out but she felt if she flat out said it now it wouldn't mean as much as it would have.

The words I love you had been used too much and in the wrong circumstances through history that simply saying them no longer expressed the true feeling in her heart. She also believed love wasn't something that was said, it was something you showed.

If you were in a relationship where you only said the words but did little else to show that you truly meant them then you weren't in love.

Despite the interruption and Kasumi not finishing her declaration Shepard still gave her a passionate kiss. Instead of speaking the words the thief poured her love for the redhead into the kiss. It was the least she could right now; she would find a better moment to say the words when they would express exactly how strong the feelings in her heart were just as Shepard had.

The mission was going to be interesting yet Kasumi couldn't wait to get back to the apartment. She wanted to be able to taste her lips longer, she wanted to strip her out of the dress right now and show her precisely how much she loved her.

Unfortunately getting kicked out for making love at the Quasar machine wasn't exactly a good idea.

"So you just want me to look at people?" Shepard questioned as they parted.

"Yup. I thought you would want the easy job being all dainty and stuff." He answered.

There was a chuckle from his Turian second in command. "Ghost, even in a dress I'm pretty sure Shepard would kick your ass."

"I'll let him slide. Don't want to embarrass him in front of you all."

Kar barked out a laugh in response to Shepard's retort while Gallick chuckled softly to himself. "You'll have to do a lot more than kick his ass to embarrass him in front of us. You should see the way Tara and Valera toss him around for the jokes he makes."

"It's how I show my love." Tara joked.

"Yeah I definitely feel the love." Ghost replied sarcastically. "Anyway, make sure you scan the areas slowly that way I can get a good read on everyone. Also if you can't see their faces you'll have to re-position. According to the old man there are five guys excluding the leader in this place. Once we find our marks I'll call in one of my guys, we mark them with a tracer and once we finish with that I'll figure out how we get to the leader."

It sounded simple enough, Shepard began scanning the area around them slowly as she intertwined her fingers with Kasumi's and began guiding her away from the Quasar and to a better vantage point. "And we're live." Ghost said to himself. "Hmm. Not Cerberus but definitely a bad guy, I'll have to come back for you later you little shit." He commented while they walked towards the waterfall.

"Stay focused Ghost." Kasumi scolded. He could bring in all the bad guys he wanted after they were done with Cerberus.

"Yeah yeah, you two can't say much anyways."

"Says the Pyjak who loses focus staring at his little blue Asari." Kar said with amusement in his tone.

Silence followed making the rest of Ghost's squad and Kasumi and Shepard chuckle to themselves at the purple eyed leader's silence. "That…isn't inaccurate."

"No need to be jealous Kar. I love you as well." Tara said.

"I know you do just not as much as you do Ghost. I understand though, I won't stand in the way of true love but it breaks one of my hearts that I can't give you little blue babies." The Krogan joked.

"Here we go again." Darian groaned feigning irritation.

"Oh Kar you'll always be my forbidden love." The Asari responded her tone sounding almost serious except for the little laughs escaping her.

Kasumi and Shepard stifled their laughs trying not to burst into laughter in the middle of the casino like two lunatics. "I'm connected into this comm too you know?" Ghost reminded.

"You know I love you." Tara responded.

The redhead and the thief stopped at the waterfall as Ghost let out a sigh of defeat knowing he wouldn't win in this banter. Now it was time for their first real search. Shepard tugged Kasumi into her so they were chest to chest. "Kiss at my neck." The N7 whispered.

"On your order _commander._" Kasumi teased. She had no objections to this plan now; she leaned forward burying her face into the woman's neck. While she surely could have just acted like she was the thief couldn't help but wonder where the fun in that would be.

Kasumi nibbled down on the redhead's neck getting a surprised gasp from the woman who hadn't been prepared for the love bite. She then released her teeth and began to suck on the area trailing her tongue across the N7s luscious skin and her own bite mark as she did. "Let's see…not you…definitely not you with that Elcor mistress you have, unless you have some weird fantasy…hmm, nope you just liked Blasto banging Bubin's sister."

"Wait that human has an Elcor mistress?" Shepard questioned surprised at the notion and humored by it. That would certainly be a strange occurrence but stranger things had happened.

"Yup. Seems someone has a little Elcor fetish, even has a mating totem. Oh wait stop." Shepard paused as best as she could with Kasumi starting her biting and sucking process on her shoulder. She couldn't help it, for now this was as close as she could get to doing anything and it helped to tease the N7 who couldn't do anything back.

"There's our mark. Tara that one is yours."

"Aye aye love_._" The Asari responded seriously but still managing a playful tone.

A disgusted noise came from Gallick on the comm. "Don't start flirting over the comm again, I was barely able to keep my lunch down the last time you two did it back on that undercover mission we had on Omega." An evil laugh made its way out of Tara which only served to make the Batarian groan in disappointment.

The sound of him slamming his head into the bar counter resounded through the comm. "Ughhhh. Why didn't I let Carson talk me out of this? Damn Turian told me the mission would be like this."

"Yeah but if you didn't come then who would keep me company? Am I just too much Krogan for you to handle Gallick?" Kar egged on the Batarian.

"Ugh. Kiara another drink please. Make it a double actually."

Kasumi giggled into Shepard's shoulder listening to the banter of Ghost's squad. It was how they all sounded with one another during missions or when they were hanging out at the apartment in recent times. Throwing jokes and reminding one another of previous missions where they had bickered or when they had tag teamed Shepard with their banter making their commander, like Ghost, sigh in defeat while keeping a smile on her face.

All of it was in good fun and she had to bet Gallick was probably smiling to himself even if he sounded like the moment had scarred him. He seemed to be a very serious person but with Ghost and the others he lost that seriousness and threw jokes around just like the rest of them.

The bartender he called on, Kiara, was a human who worked up at the bar where Gallick was "keeping watch." She also happened to be an insider in C-Sec and much like Liara's father got the post for the sake of the mission and to keep a close eye on the goings of the casino.

She had enough Intel to help them figure out areas where the agents could likely be found in and probably had some way to get to the leader. For now she was feeding them the information on the regular agents while feeding Gallick more drinks.

Being a friend of Ghost's also meant that now that they had a mission to take down the agents it was time to get her the hell out before Cerberus caught onto her. Ghost didn't leave his friends in a lion's den carelessly and he wouldn't leave them behind. He was diving in head first to make sure she got out safely.

Kasumi kissed her way up the N7s neck until she met the woman's lips with her own. She sucked in the woman's bottom lip taking it as her own and persuading the redhead to kiss her back with a small nibble when she didn't kiss her back right away. The thief wasn't going to let her become _too _focused on the mission, after all this wasmeant to be a fun date. "He's marked." Tara stated.

Shepard smiled after the bite and captured the thief's lips with her own the moment she released. "Good work. Carson does he show up on your radar?" Ghost asked.

"I've got him Captain, four left."

"Alright. Shepard head to the roulette- and you two are kissing again."

"Mmhmm." Kasumi responded mid kiss.

The purple eyed leader let out a sigh. "Right. When you two finish head to the roulette, next guy should be there."

Both women reluctantly parted from one another knowing for the sake of Ghost and his crew that they shouldn't delay too much. They were there for a mission and to get home while Kasumi and Shepard were there for fun. Still both women understood wanting to finish the mission to go home, especially right now.

Things were going smoothly so far and with luck it would continue that way. Granted they had only found one guy so far and knowing Ghost's usual brand of luck they were bound for some kind of trouble somewhere down the line.

_With luck we'll finish without any type of problems. With more luck I'll get to kiss Shep more as a way to look like she isn't searching around._

Each kiss felt like breathing in air after having no air to breathe. It reminded you how desperate you were for that oxygen once it was taken away or why you couldn't live without it.

Shepard guided Kasumi in front of her once they reached the roulette and wrapped her arms around her waist taking up the same position she had at the Quasar machine just reversed. "Well my lucky charm, let's see what we can win." The redhead whispered into her ear.

"Might want to rub my belly." The thief whispered back.

Roulette had never really been her specialty, then again she had never really gambled that much. She preferred her own way of getting credits instead of just placing credits down and hoping for the best. The N7 let out a light laugh before actually rubbing her belly while letting the very tips of her fingers trail past her waist briefly as she kissed her cheek.

Feeling lucky already Kasumi placed two chips on double zero and one on a red fifteen. The roulette spun going through the assortment of numbers as she felt Shepard's head pivoting slowly on her shoulder.

Hopefully they would find these guys soon; they didn't need a shootout in the casino or have them use their cyanide capsules or ocular flashbangs.

That would really kill the great mood everyone was in.

The roulette rolled to a stop on double zero but then moved and landed on red fifteen.

_Well at least it wasn't a complete bust._

She felt Shepard's lips press against her cheek, the N7s lips were curled in a smile though Kasumi wasn't sure if it was for her slightly good fortune or because she was happy to be spending time like this.

They were on a mission but their part in the mission allowed them to be with one another like they weren't. Kasumi found herself smiling as she leaned forward to place her chips down again, the peaceful music in the background mixed with being held by Shepard made her feel like she was in a nirvana.

A shiver ran down the thief's spine on more than one occasion so far just by being held back to chest with Shepard. The way her fingers rested on her lower abdomen and glided a little bit further down now and then teasing her for all the times she had done it herself at the Quasar station made her knees quiver under her.

Her special plans for after the casino couldn't come soon enough.

"Uh-oh." Ghost's concerned voice came over the comm.

Kasumi watched the roulette spin hoping for a two which she put two chips on. "That doesn't sound good." Darian commented. If Ghost ever held concern in his voice or said uh-oh there was bound to be a problem.

_Well I knew there would be a hiccup, I wonder how bad this one will be or how many more are left._

"Yeah you know that reporter Al-Jilani? She's kinda here and I think she sees you Shepard."

The roulette came up with a three which wasn't one of Kasumi's numbers like it knew the bad news they heard and just couldn't help but add on to it. "Crap." Both women said in unison.

Not only was a reporter coming their way but she missed both her numbers.

_Talk about unlucky._

"I'll head her off. Hopefully she'll stay quiet and leave." Ghost suddenly appeared next to the Varren racing and cut off the reporter who had been making a B line towards them but thankfully had yet to shout any name. "Listen I know you probably want some story and want to talk to Shepard because the galaxy is in need of repairs and she hasn't been seen that much but if you go over there you'll blow her cover."

"Cover? She looks like she's on a date." The reporter stated.

"Yeah that's her cover. We are on a high stakes mission involving Cerberus, if you want a statement I'll gladly give you one as the leader of the N7 Talons after we're done but if you go over there and speak to her this mission will be a bust. She can't have unnecessary attention drawn to her…Darian, blonde haired human with the tan skin next to the bathroom is a target. Mark him."

The reporter seemed to suddenly catch the hint and gave a small nod to the hooded man before turning to leave. "So was that a serious order or part of your attempt to get her to leave?" Darian questioned.

"A real one. Once you have him marked I need you to regroup with Kar and get another target that Shepard saw." The leader stated.

"Aye aye."

_Well at least she's learned not to pry when there is a mission at stake. Took her two interviews with Shepard where she stonewalled and bull rushed her but it seems even a hound can learn its lesson._ _It only took a war to make her learn some manners and privacy but hey, better late than never. Mentioning Cerberus probably really made it sink in, that and Ghost saying he'll give a statement. _Kasumi placed two chips down on nine and another on three, _hopefully this time I'm a bit luckier. _

Darian marked his target while the roulette wheel began to spin, according to Ghost that left one guy that they already knew of that needed to be marked plus two more that they still had to find. As for the robbing the casino part his squad had already handled setting the hacking devices, all that was left was to activate them and this casino was about to become a great funder of many charities and recovery efforts.

It felt kind of lame to do considering they had originally planned to make it a lot more fun than planting hacking devices but this mission took precedent and it still allowed her to steal away her Shep's time. In the end that part of the plan worked so Kasumi couldn't complain.

The roulette rolled to a stop on five making the thief sigh in disappointment for a moment only for it to tick over one more and become a nine. Kasumi couldn't help but cheer in joy, with the luck she and Shepard had at Quasar and now this roulette wheel they might as well have been stealing the credits they were winning.

Shepard chuckled behind her. "Never going to play poker against you, you'll probably keep all this luck to yourself and steal all our credits."

Kasumi turned her head back to the N7 with a smile, "Of course I would, it's what I do."

"Not to mention the hearts you steal. You just sneak right in and take them without the person knowing."

"Hey!" Kasumi turned herself all the way around to face Shepard, hearts was an over exaggeration and saying she intentionally stole any at first was false. She had only unknowingly stole Shepard's heart but now she held it with pride as did Shepard with her own. "There's only one heart I proudly stole and it's the only one I plan to keep." She intertwined her fingers behind the N7s neck, "And that would be yours Shep."

Shepard smiled; her fair colored cheeks began to tint pink at the declaration. The redhead rested her forehead on the thief's both forgetting for a moment they were in public and on a mission, "Flatterer." The redhead whispered.

This seemed the perfect time to finally get the words out that had been interrupted last time. Kasumi opened her mouth to say the three words but another voice interrupted her. "Oi! Ladies I understand you are really here on a date and just helping us as you go along but I really don't need this kind of close up in my eyes." Ghost the moment killer interrupted again.

Both women let out sighs and separated from one another. _Ruining the mood again, I hope you aren't like this with Tara._ "Ghost you are such a moment killer." Darian chuckled to himself.

"Love you and I do the same things on missions all the time." Tara said matter of factly.

"Hey I may be one for public display of affection and I know we do the same on missions but we've got two guys to go. The sooner they get this done the sooner I will gladly leave them alone and let them do what they please."

"In that case where to next?" Shepard asked.

Kasumi could tell the longer they spent together the more the N7 wanted to get back to the apartment and pick up where they left off before. _Can't say I'm not in the same boat. _The thief had the same feeling welling up inside her; it was how she noticed the look in the redhead's eyes. "Ummm…hmm, well we've got one unknown and the other looks to be a guard here. He's going to be difficult but it also presents us with an opportunity to get the leader. Brad you read me?" Ghost asked to one of his crew members that weren't in the casino.

"Loud and clear boss."

"I need you in here, we're going to pull a switcheroo with a guard and you're the closest match to this guy for body and hair color."

Switching out the guard would definitely make getting the leader of this group easier, with his guard down all they would have to do is use voice changing tech after recording his voice and use it to bait the leader to open his door. "Shepard head up to the dance floor, that's where you'll be able to find the last guy. Gallick will mark him. Kar, Brad wait in the restroom for me. I think this guard needs to go have a look at a red sand addict."

There was an evil laugh from Brad, "Can't wait boss."

Kasumi and Shepard left the roulette table and headed up to the dance floor, now was definitely her chance to be persuasive enough to get the woman on the dance floor. While it was known that Shepard wasn't much of a dancer and definitely had never danced in heels this was likely the thief's one and only chance to get her to just for fun.

There would be a lot of persuasion needed to get her in a dress again, Kasumi had teased about Shepard not being the only one who had a tongue that could work wonders but deep down neither one of them were the type to use sex as a bargaining tool. It made for fun banter and neither would ever stop making teases with it but actually using it to get their way wasn't how Shepard or Kasumi worked.

_Though I won't rule out puppy dog eyes, she will never be able to resist that._

Still the time they had spent together so far had been fun from before the mission started at the Quasar machine to now. To end the night by dancing with the woman she loved, who looked absolutely gorgeous tonight in her dress, would make it one of the most memorable nights they had spent together thus far.

Whether that would be better or worse would depend on how well their dancing was, it could end up a night that they reflected on and laughed because of how bad they danced. Either way she wasn't above using the puppy dog eyes on her Shep if it got her to dance.

"We should use the dance floor as cover." Kasumi offered offhandedly like she hadn't been planning to dance with her.

Shepard looked to her with a raised eyebrow and a knowing smirk; she was already onto her line of thought. "Really?" The thief nodded a smile making its way to her own face; she really had to work on keeping her cover up with the redhead.

She would never be able to surprise her again if she couldn't keep the smile from coming to her face. Surprising her with the crew had gone remarkably well, that time was the exception though. "Dancing?"

"Come on Shep I promise I won't step on your feet." She pleaded ready to initiate the dreadful pleading eyes that the redhead would never be able to resist.

"Fine, but only if the music is good enough to dance too."

Kasumi couldn't help but feel slightly shocked at the easy agreement. She had expected at least some form of fun debate yet Shepard offered no restraint. Then there was the odd part that she had a preference to music she danced too, what exactly did she enjoy dancing too?

If she had secret dancing capabilities not only would the thief be shocked but she would have to tell the crew. They would probably never believe her without video proof and even then they would still probably not believe her.

Facts were that Shepard was not a dancer, she had a strange dance move at the party that was really hard to describe in words and then there was the two step like move she used back during the suicide mission at the Dark Star Lounge.

The redhead having a certain taste in dance music got the thief thinking, back on the Normandy Kelly and Shepard had been friendly with one another and Kasumi knew Kelly had once been a dancer. _Did Kelly teach her any moves? _Images of Shepard in a very revealing and very skin tight outfit played through the hooded woman's thoughts.

It was strangely an enticing thought and one that she had to fight from making her blush. She knew better than to really believe Kelly had taught her any moves knowing that the two were only friends but that didn't stop her imagination from breaking free again.

She had to get her mind off it to stop any sort of blush from showing. "I didn't realize there was certain music you danced too. The only dancing I ever saw you do wasn't very enthusiastic." The thief paused for dramatics knowing she had seen her dance moves. Shepard was already starting to roll her eyes knowing what was coming. "Actually that's not true. Back at the apartment the dancing you did with the others was very enthusiastic. I remember Garrus saying that we should have sent it to the Reapers."

The N7 shook her head with a smirk as they reached the top of the stairs, "Make fun all you like, I've just never had a partner to tango with." They moved to the dance floor scanning the area as they walked.

"Well that's convenient." Gallick said to himself.

"Right next to you?" Shepard questioned.

"Yeah." The Batarian answered. He reached over the counter grabbing a large bottle of liquor then as he came back over he slammed it right into the face of the Cerberus agent. The glass cracked across his face and knocked him out of his seat and back onto the floor.

Gallick sat back down and opened up his omni-tool as the Cerberus agent got off the floor with blood pouring from his face, "What the fuck you damn four eyed bastard!" The agent shouted.

The Batarian ignored him and instead of responding he aimed his omni-tool at the human and waved Kiara over with his free hand. "Can I get one last drink Kia?" He launched a submission net out his omni-tool ensnaring the human and shocking him into a paralytic state.

"Kia now hmm?" The brown haired woman asked with a smile on her face. "I like it. Care to take a girl out sometime Gallick?"

He chuckled to himself as she poured him another drink, "Sorry Kia, I have- I hopefully still have a wife out there waiting for me. I appreciate the thought; if I wasn't married you could bet I would take you out."

She gave him a sad smile, "I understand Gallick. Just so you know if you weren't married I would have rocked your world." Both chuckled to themselves, "I hope she is okay." Kiara said caringly.

"As do I but thank you. Omega is quite the distance away from the Sol system and comms are still screwed, I'll keep hope until I hear her voice again or see her in person. Otherwise…I'll meet her again someday." He said solemnly.

Kasumi's heart out went to the man, while she was here enjoying her time with Shepard he had no idea if his wife was okay or not. She sent a prayer out to the deities of every alien race she knew in hopes that one of them made sure his wife was alive and they would get reunited. "I wish the best for you Gallick."

He gave the brown haired woman an appreciative nod, "Thank you." He finished his drink then looked down to the Cerberus agent who was still being shocked by his submission net. "Tara we've got one racist bastard wrapped up and ready to depart. Where should I bring him?"

The Asari let out a sigh, he hadn't marked him exactly as the others had but he had certainly eliminated the threat. Now the problem was getting him out without the others alerting anyone which was likely why Tara had let out a sigh. "You are one of the most impatient Batarian's I know Gallick. Just carry him out and meet up with Carson. Also I know this may be asking a lot but try not to spook his buddies."

"Yeah yeah. I'll wait with Carson so I can bust the heads on the remaining bastards."

"Sounds like a plan. I know Kiara already said it but your wife will be fine. She's one of the toughest civilian women I have ever met." Tara said soothingly.

"I know, I'm not crying myself into a drunken stupor or hitting everyone I see or blaming all the other races for my problems so I'd say I'm doing well. No pep talk needed. Shepard." The Batarian deactivated the submission net and picked up the paralyzed human slinging the man over his shoulder before looking to the redhead. "It's been an honor." He bowed his head.

She bowed her head in response. "Take care of yourself Gallick." He nodded and left the bar with the Cerberus agent in tow. _Keep hope Gallick, it's the one thing we all have to hold onto when faced with the unknown._

The thief had been in a similar circumstance when she had watched every night an unconscious Shepard hanging onto what little life she had left after the war. Hope had been the one thing to help her get through it, hope that tomorrow she would wake up and if she didn't then it would be the next day.

Neither Shepard nor Kasumi moved to the dance floor, both were lost in their own thoughts on everything they had heard from Gallick. They both knew there were many more like him all hoping that the people they cared about were still alive.

Kasumi counted herself lucky that almost everyone she knew and cared for now survived the war; all except Mordin, Legion and Thane who she wished peace upon each night and hoped were still looking down now and then to see that everything they had sacrificed for had not gone to waste.

_But if they hadn't…if everyone I care for had died and I didn't…_Shepard gave her hand a comforting squeeze seeing the thoughts that crossed her mind. Kasumi looked to her and saw similar thoughts on her mind. The thief gave the redhead's hand a comforting squeeze back and a small nod, _we did though and we have each other. We'll do our best to help others at least find peace, it's the least we can do for the happiness we were granted._

She tried to communicate her thoughts through her look and it seemed to get through based on the nod Shepard gave her. They were lucky only to lose three friends as terrible as it felt to say that.

Others had lost everyone they had cared for, others weren't in a casino taking the person they loved on what could be considered a normal date for them. It wouldn't be right to not help others in Gallick's position to find their loved ones or at the least help them to find some peace.

They would pay back their good fortune by helping others anyway they could.

"So uhh…love birds, mind giving us a distraction? We might have, you know, messed this guy up pretty badly annddd-"

"He means that there is a lot of blood and we need to move fast." Kar finished.

"…Right." Shepard sighed. "What kind of distraction do you need?"

"One that captivates everyone up there. We don't want anyone leaving for the next minute or two, especially not to come to the bathroom. Tara I need you to get over here now, we're moving in on the leader. Carson get Hackett on the comm and tell him we're moving in. I want you to coordinate with the others and grab the other four guys since Gallick did us a public service. Kar, Brad let's move."

Kasumi began to smile as she opened her omni-tool, "Oh I've got an idea to captivate an audience." She hacked into the music and suddenly tango music began to play. She stepped in front of Shepard and put her hand out bowing a little as she did, this would be the only chance she had and she was going to take it. "May I have this dance?"

"Oh Spirits we're doomed if the stories are true." Ghost said.

"Oh hush love, let them have their moment I'm sure they will pull through for your mission and for their date." Tara responded.

Shepard had a timid smile on her face as she grabbed Kasumi's hand and allowed her to bring her into the center of the mostly empty dance floor, "I- it's been a while since I tangoed."

Well she was definitely better off than the thief was; at least she actually had tangoed before. "We'll wing it like we always do." The thief teased. In truth she had only ever watched a few tango vids just to see what it looked like so winging it was her only option.

Definitely since she was going to lead.

Kasumi brought their held hands up as she wrapped her free arm around the woman's waist; they began stepping to the music with Shepard focusing on trying to remember the movements she knew while Kasumi was enjoying her close proximity to the N7.

Their torsos were against one another; their faces were merely inches away. The intoxicating smell that was Shepard took over her senses; the small love bites on her neck and shoulder were visible at this distance with the redhead making no attempt to cover them with her beautiful red hair.

She looked like a goddess.

"Just let it come natural Shep. I've never tangoed before so I'm letting the music move me." She said to her Shep.

She gave a barely noticeable nod before Kasumi spun the slightly awkward commander away from her. She had clearly never done this in heels before but the N7 was doing her best as the thief pulled her back and wrapped her arm around her waist.

They stepped around a little longer garnering attention as the thief twirled the commander, after she came out of the twirl and got her hands back into position they came to a stop and Shepard brought her right knee up Kasumi's side resting against her hip. _That's it now you're getting into it. _

Both women smiled at one another at the gasp they received. _You think that's good, let's show how flexible you are thanks to all that stretching Miranda had you do._ The thief kept her right leg in place she took a step back causing the woman to lean with her.

Shepard's bent right leg stayed rested on her side and leg while her other leg remained stretched back holding its position, she showed no sign of trouble at holding herself up making Kasumi make a mental note to thank Miranda and Jack for their separate boot camps.

"Has anyone told you lately that you're remarkably gorgeous in a dress?" Kasumi asked a smile on her face.

"Just you." Shepard smiled. More people began to crowd around watching them dance around the floor taking up everyone's attention and taking the floor for themselves. The longer they danced the more fluid they became, Shepard's tango knowledge was coming back in full swing and Kasumi was going with the music and the flow her Shep had.

Their footwork on the battlefield and their ability to synch up with one another so easily really helped here. Shepard, who didn't dance if she could help it, was really getting into the dance and both women were grinning widely as they did. Whether the distraction was really working or not Kasumi wasn't sure, she really didn't care at this point.

This was too good of a moment to let other thoughts cloud it.

Kasumi spun Shepard away again both women letting go of one another, the N7 came out of the spin and then brought her hand up with a seductive smirk waving her to come back over. The thief grinned and made her way over to her Shep taking her hand in her own again and wrapping her arm around her waist.

They moved fluidly back into their dance taking no notice to the shouts and scuffling in their comms or the even larger crowd that had formed to watch the galaxy's hero dance with her mysterious squadmate. The crowd would soon find out that this was more than a distraction to them and definitely more than a commander and squadmate relationship.

"Didn't know you had this in you Shep." Kasumi said her tone cheery. This was more amazing than she had ever thought it would be.

"I told you." Shepard allowed her left heel slide along the ground as they turned, her leg extended out timing her move to the ending of the music. "I never had a partner to tango with." She slid her left foot back across the ground and brought it up against Kasumi's side. The thief dipped the N7 bending over only slightly with her while Shepard allowed her head to ease back and her red hair to flow behind her.

The crowd began to cheer and woot for them but she didn't really hear them, from Kasumi's position she was staring down at the most beautiful woman in the galaxy. She watched her chest rise and fall as the music ended, her eyes trailed up her chest and all the way up her neck to her lips which were curved in a smile. They were so luscious and she couldn't wait to taste them again.

"So Shep, does this make up for me not noticing your feelings right away?" Kasumi teased.

"Oh hell yes." Shepard replied humor and desire in her tone. She lifted her head up to look the thief in the eyes with a wide smile on her face, her leg still rested against her and if the look in her eyes were any indication she wanted to get the hell out of here and go back to the apartment. "You're full of surprises Kasumi."

"You're one to talk." Kasumi retorted. Never would she have guessed that Shepard knew how to dance, she would have bet against that possibility in an instant. Yet here they stood after such a great dance staring lovingly into one another's eyes. "No one will ever believe me when I tell them you and I tangoed together and it went fantastic despite me never tangoing before and your history with dancing."

Shepard laughed her beautiful laugh, _I should have recorded it then they'd have to believe me…or they'd think it was forged, we've all seen too much of her dancing to really believe it without seeing it. I sure wouldn't have._

The thief rested her forehead on Shepard's, this was definitely a date worth remembering and one she couldn't wait to continue when they got back to the apartment.

Until then there was something that needed to be said.

"I love you Anastasia Shepard." Kasumi didn't hesitate any longer to say it but she also didn't say it really quickly. She allowed the words to come out naturally and said them with all of the love that rested in her heart. "I may have unknowingly stolen your heart but you knowingly worked the chains off mine. I never thought I'd truly love again but you proved me wrong as always, thank you for that Ana."

She saw in her eyes how much finally hearing the words really meant to her, tears began to glisten in the N7s eyes and her grip on Kasumi tightened. "I love you too Kasumi, I love you so much."

Her voice was shaky, she was nearing happy tears but the thief wouldn't let her cry now. That wasn't her intention so she nudged her nose with her own receiving a smile from the woman, "Don't cry, I know you do. Now kiss me you gorgeous woman."

Shepard smiled bigger before capturing her lips with her own. Neither woman listened to the whistles or the clapping they heard being too lost in the moment of their own kiss to notice.

"Love birds, I doubt you're listening being so involved in your grand moment but we've got the leader and robbed this place. The other four guys we'll get so you two go enjoy your evening. Contacts are on me, I'll send Kasumi the program I use in case you ever want to use them again. Are you happy now Tara? I waited." Ghost came over the comm.

Shepard parted from Kasumi with a smile on her face, "Thanks for the fun Ghost. I hope we cross paths again somewhere down the line."

"I'm sure we will. If Hackett ever has a joint op we'd be honored to fight alongside you and your crew. I know I gave you two a hard time today all in the name of my own brand of fun but it is truly an honor to meet you and once again thank you for defeating the Reaper. Kar get that piece of trash out of here, Carson commence the sting operation and get those other sacks of racist trash out of here." The leader ordered.

"Good luck Ghost, don't hurt yourself." Kasumi said.

"I'll do my best Kasumi. Don't be a stranger. Stay safe and have fun."

The comm cut leaving both women to leave their final position of the dance. "Let's get the hell out of here." Shepard said with a seductive smile on her face.

Kasumi smiled and walked with the redhead back through the casino. She had finally told her what she had been trying to all night and it made her feel giddy on the inside.

Now it was time to show her exactly how much she meant it.

**A/N: I know I stole the tango from the Garrus romance but I couldn't resist. Anyway thanks for reading and I'll see you next time.**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Love, Lust and Dreams

Leaving the casino had gone remarkably well considering the sting operation Ghost had initiated had caused a mass confusion. Maybe it was his way of providing a distraction for them to walk out unnoticed, Kasumi wasn't sure but if it was then the plan went off without a hitch.

His team had used various ways of knocking out the remaining four agents from a neural shock and submission net used by Grissom, their Drell teammate, and Gallick respectively to smashing their heads into a Quasar machine repeatedly and electrocuting them with an omni-tool used by Whitney and Valera their hot headed human and Asari pilot.

Surprisingly enough Whitney had managed to get a jackpot in Quasar from smashing the Cerberus agents head into the machine, something she was quite proud of. While they were capturing and dragging the agents out of the casino Ghost, Darian and Tara, the three publicly better known members of the crew thanks to the war, were easing everyone's tension explaining the situation and informing them they were safe to continue on gambling.

It wasn't every day you saw a sting operation in a casino, especially one handled by Ghost who allowed his men to literally drag the unconscious agents out by their feet.

Al-Jilani was the first reporter to approach the three. For once she wasn't trying to smear anyone instead asking the N7s on their operation, their team, association with Shepard, and plans for the future and their service. Kasumi and Shepard managed to slip away without being noticed but doing so forced them to take their time and move through the crowd of the casino who wanted to watch and hear what the purple eyed leader had to say.

Ghost, for all his secrecy, did great in front of a camera. He explained that while he would go into depth about the operation there was more to it than this casino, it was an ongoing mission and for the sake of all involved he couldn't divulge all the information or how they worked. He did say though that as long as Cerberus was a threat to all people of the Galaxy he and his squad would stand ready to protect them.

Al-Jilani praised their dedication but what she didn't realize was that he was giving every Cerberus member listening a fair warning. They were all in his squads sights and they could expect to one day be in a similar situation if they didn't turn themselves in now.

Kasumi found it rather polite of him to give the terrorists a warning and chance to give up now even if no one understood what he was doing except her. If it was up to her she wouldn't have even given them a warning, after everything their leader ordered and everything Shepard had gone through because of them the thief was firmly in the camp of smashing their faces into a Quasar machine first and asking questions later.

The reporter asked more about his team and how it was to be the leader of the first cross species N7 squad. Ghost told her he felt honored to be an example of cross species cooperation and hoped to not let down those who put faith in him and his team. He then told her that he was privileged to be the leader and friend of such a great team, his comment led to the three cracking jokes at one another falling into their familiar comradery in front of the camera only breaking it off when they remembered they were being interviewed.

Both women were nearly out when Al-Jilani asked for their association with Shepard and plans for the future. Curiosity got the better of them so they stayed to listen, he told her it was merely a coincidence that they had been teamed up and he didn't know much about her recovery other than that if her show of dancing and stubborn attitude to get back to health were anything to go by then she would be back in no time.

After hearing the reminder of their dance Shepard and Kasumi traded a look speaking volumes of getting the hell out of there to continue where they had left off before leaving to come to the casino and how they felt after their dance.

It didn't take long to get back to the apartment at the quickened pace both women found themselves walking at, it wasn't too quick that they risked Shepard tripping and falling in her heels but it was certainly quicker than normal.

What could they say? They were both excited to get back, Kasumi felt her heart thumping along quicker than normal because she knew what was waiting for them once they got back. She had planned for this, okay saying she had planned for this was a little far.

There was no real plan for when they got back, they were going to be together and see where things ended up going but otherwise the only thing the thief had done was setup the room. She had made one more promise as part of their date and she intended to deliver on it, everything else they would wing.

_Just like always. _Kasumi smiled to herself, there were really two things she had planned but both were surprises she couldn't wait to give the beautiful redhead. She was hoping to pour her heart out for the N7 and finally be able to act on the thoughts her imagination had come up with.

They entered the apartment to find Jack, Miranda, and Garrus standing about conversing with one another. Other than the three the apartment seemed to be completely empty which was a strange sight, Kasumi had expected the others to be back from whatever they were doing and back to hanging around the apartment. She hoped to continue to steal away Shepard from everyone else for the remainder of the night but she had expected to share with the crew, at least for a little while.

Jack was the first to take notice of the women a smirk forming on her lips the moment they made eye contact. "Shepard when did you have the time to learn how to dance like that? Weren't you too busy saving the galaxy?" Jack questioned humor in her tone.

_So someone did record and share it, well it certainly makes explaining it to the guys a whole lot easier._ Then again the last thing Kasumi wanted to do right now was explain something, there would be time later to talk about it and make fun of Shepard's previous dancing compared to their tango.

Right now she wanted to bring her Shep up to the bedroom regardless of how awkward things would get for their teammates.

"Actually learned around the time I joined the Alliance years ago, haven't done it since. We really were winging it as we went along." Shepard answered. Jack nodded with a smile on her face. She clearly was going to have fun giving the N7 a hard time in the future about this. "Who recorded it anyways?"

"Not sure. I'm sure we could probably track them down but surely you aren't looking for petty revenge over someone recording you dance good for once, are you Shepard?" Miranda teased.

The N7 attempted to retort but stopped short getting a laugh from all four members of her squad. The former Cerberus operative had a valid point. It was the first time their Commander had danced very well and someone had finally captured it instead of the dance move she normally used. Even if it was their moment being shown to whoever decided to watch it at least it was a good show.

"I wouldn't have believed it without the recording." Garrus paused for a moment, "Not sure I still believe it though. Could have been a fabrication, Miranda are you sure you checked-"

"Yes Garrus I am sure." The former Cerberus operative interrupted with a smile.

Kasumi couldn't help but smile to herself, she still wanted to go up to the bedroom but time with their friends was always enjoyable. She would never grow tired of hearing them banter with one another or poke fun at Shepard, the thief had missed that during the war. "My dancing wasn't that bad before…was it?" The N7 questioned the thief.

"Not going to lie Shep, before our dance if someone would have told me you could tango I wouldn't have believed them." Shepard sighed to herself so Kasumi gave her a peck on the cheek, "I still love you regardless of your dance moves without a partner."

The redhead smiled a bit victoriously to the others who, thanks to Kasumi, had lost the banter battle. Love won that round for them both.

"Cheerleader, Garrus let's get out of here before we're victims to hearing them bed each other."

"Leaving already?" Shepard questioned.

"We really stayed behind to let you two know none of us would interrupt you." Garrus cleared his throat, "Blowing off steam." The Turian explained.

Shepard and Kasumi blushed and smiled bashfully. They had called them out on the carpet of what their evening plans were despite how obvious they probably were. "You've got a few hours before we have to come back, I doubt you'll stop anyway but I thought I'd give you two a heads up." Miranda said as she began to walk to the exit.

_At least she knows, _Kasumi mused.

"Ha! Those two will probably be at it for the whole night, gonna be hard for anyone near their room to get to sleep tonight." Jack said humorously following after Garrus and Miranda. Both women had magnificent blushes coating their cheeks while the three walked by. The tattooed biotic slugged the redheads shoulder with a smirk on her face. "Have fun you two. Try not to break anything with your biotic's."

Shepard slugged her back a smirk making its way onto her own face. "As long as you and Miranda hold yourselves to the same rule."

_And that round goes to Shep._

Garrus and Kasumi chuckled at the two biotic's stunned silence followed by grumbles under their breath that none of them could understand. The thief did take notice to the faint blushes that crossed their faces but let it go; she'd tease them later about it.

Once they were gone Shepard looked to Kasumi with a smile. "Looks like you've got me all to yourself Kasumi." She stepped in closer resting her hand on the thief's cheek, her gentle touch never ceased to make her knees quake under her. If things continued as they were she didn't doubt her touch making the rest of her body quake. "What would you like to do?"

Her question was mostly serious wondering if there was anything in particular she wanted, there was but to say the words would only give the N7 the courtesy of winning this round before their main event so easily.

The thief moved in closer so their lips were merely inches away from each other. "It's a surprise." She teased. She turned and gently bumped the lower half of the redhead with her hip. "Follow me if you want to find out."

Before Kasumi even reached the stairs she was turned around and pulled into a kiss, it was wonderful to feel her lips against her own again but there was a surprise she wanted to get to so she broke it off. "Come on Shep, there's something I've prepared for you." Kasumi tugged on her hand to follow her up the stairs, Shepard smiled at her playful tugging and allowed herself to be brought up the stairs and to the bedroom.

"Care to sit down while I get them?" The thief asked while she shut the doors for privacy for the rest of the night. _Hopefully for the others sake the doors will block any sound as well, otherwise they might just want to stay away from the doors._

Shepard and Kasumi weren't going to provide any therapy sessions for anyone who got a little too close to the doors.

"Sure. Can I take these heels off?"

Kasumi smiled and thought about telling her no for fun but decided against it. She didn't want her Shep to be uncomfortable and if the heels were making her feel like that then it was time for them to go. "Yep. I want the honors of the dress though." A pleased smile crossed the N7s face before the thief walked to the other side of the room behind her. "And no peeking."

"With that promise how could I argue?" Shepard asked.

"Simple, you can't." A laugh came from the N7, the lovely sound filled Kasumi with warmth just like staring into her eyes, kissing her and pretty much everything that involved being with her did. She opened the drawer that Shepard never used and pulled out the two items she had purchased for her. "Ready Shep?"

"As ready as I can be." She responded.

Kasumi walked back around the bed and held out the items to her, the shocked look was satisfying to say the least. "Real authentic candles just as you asked." She gave one of the scented candles to Shepard and set the other on the nightstand next to the bed. "They're both scented Ginger Peach, it's a pretty smell, or at least I think it is. I hope you-"

"I love it." Shepard interrupted after smelling the candle. "I was just joking when I said I wanted candles, but thank you." The thief smiled to herself lighting the candle she set down and taking the one from the N7 to put on the opposite nightstand. "Mind if I dim the lights?"

"Only if you do it too help me set the mood." Kasumi said with humor. She lit the second candle with Shepard dimming the lights so the room was mostly lit up by the candles. That was half of her surprise now it was time for the other half. "Care to join me in the center of the bed Shep?"

Shepard turned around and met the thief in the center of the bed, both rested on their knees sitting straight up intertwining their fingers and resting their foreheads on each other's. The N7 moved in for a kiss but Kasumi backed away not allowing their lips to touch.

It felt wrong doing it and even the redhead gave her a confused and worried look since she had never backed away from a kiss since she pulled away from their first awkward kiss.

Her nerves were starting to get the best of her, Kasumi un-intertwined her fingers and grabbed her Shep's wrist with shaky hands. "Shep I…" She stopped herself finding it hard to speak.

Instead of saying the words she brought the redheads hands to her hood, her sky blue eyed lover caught on immediately to what she was doing. "Kasumi…we don't have to do this if you aren't comfortable."

"I want to. Nerves just getting the best of me." She placed Shepard's hands on her hood, "I love you Ana and I want you to take this damn hood off." Her hood always granted her security and safety from prying eyes, without it she felt exposed. With Shepard though she didn't want to hide under it any longer, the N7 filled her with warmth and comfort making her feel safe.

The hood felt like a barrier between them now. She wanted to finally be free of that barrier in private; she didn't want to hide anything from the woman she loved.

The redheads eyes stared deeply into Kasumi's searching them for any sign that she felt forced or wasn't fully sure of herself. "Are you sure Kasumi?"

"Yes." She smiled, "After all I still get the honor of taking that dress off so it's only fair."

Shepard tried to fight her smile but failed. Humor was a good way to beat her nerves back having her Shep's hands so close to removing the hood; the redhead had caught onto it and kissed her forehead. "Only if you're sure."

"I am."

Without further hesitation Shepard pulled the hood back slowly revealing Kasumi's face unobstructed and her long ponytailed black hair. The thief couldn't help but avert her gaze from her Shep's the nerves coming back in full swing. It had been a very long time since she had allowed someone to take off her hood, Keiji had been the last one to do so and that was a long time ago.

She felt the N7 pull out her ponytail gently allowing her hair to fall back into its natural state and drape over her shoulders. Once she finished with the hair tie the redhead slipped her hand into the now free hair she had never been able to see or feel before. "You know." Shepard started as shivers moved across the thief's body and pleasurable tingles made their way across her skull from her hand running through her hair. "I've never laid eyes on someone as beautiful as you."

Kasumi looked back into the sky blue eyes; she wasn't sure what she was expecting to find when she met her gaze. The small pessimist in her told her there would be a jest in her eyes but that was easily batted away when her loving eyes locked with her own. "I'm sure you're exaggerating." The thief deflected not used to dealing with such a compliment.

Her words were reflected in her eyes. The redhead truly believed her own words and couldn't understand why the thief had deflected it. "No I'm not." Shepard brought her hand out of Kasumi's hair and rested both of her hands on both sides of her neck. "You are a beautiful woman who is funny, loving and a giant tease some days. And I love you with all my heart. So if I tell you you're beautiful than that means you are."

"How could I argue with that logic?" Kasumi felt her voice falter hearing what her lover said. There was not even a sliver of doubt or any sign of her saying it to make her feel better, it filled her heart with so much love and warmth she began to feel tears well in her eyes.

_I've never felt so loved and wanted before._

She and Keiji had been in love but the level of love that Shepard had for her and was filling into her heart was greater than their love ever was. "Simple, you can't." The N7 wisecracked.

Kasumi breathed out a laugh and two tears escaped her, before she could wipe them away the redhead did it for her, she placed a kiss on each cheek where the tears had been then gave her a small kiss on her lips. "Happy tears?" She asked. The thief nodded not able to find the voice to explain the reason why.

Thankfully she didn't have to. Shepard's velvety lips met hers again this time in slow passionate kiss. All of the nerves were washed away in a grand waterfall of love that both women shared with one another through the kiss. Kasumi opened her omni-tool without breaking off their kiss and activated the sound station on the redhead's nightstand, another addition to setting the mood that she had prepared.

The music she had activated was soft and added onto the already romantic mood they had, the N7 smiled into their kiss at the addition of music pleased at the selection she had chosen. Kasumi slid her hands up the woman's back following the zipper trail until she found it at the top. She pulled it down slowly while her Shep began to kiss and suck on her neck.

A yelp escaped the thief when Shepard suddenly nibbled down on her neck, the N7 made a pleased noise which Kasumi could only take as a sound of payback for doing it to her during their casino date. That or for taking her time to unzip the back of her dress, both were possibilities.

Soon the zipper stopped at her waist line before the start of the lower half of the dress, the thief allowed her fingers to trace up the now bare part of the woman's back getting a small shudder from her Shep. Kasumi worked her hands up to her shoulders and helped to push the shoulder straps off her shoulders and to her biceps allowing Shepard to snake her arms out from the straps with the help of the thief.

Shepard had moved from her lower neck to right below her chin line near her ear and was thoroughly enjoying her freedom to kiss any part of the thief she could reach that wasn't covered, which wasn't much yet but that would change soon.

The feel of her lips against her skin and her tongue tracing circles when she sucked on her neck made the thief close her eyes and hum in approval of the feel. Her warm breath tickled her skin and made Kasumi anxious to feel it everywhere else. _First things first, this dress has to go._

In a way it was a shame since Shepard looked so beautiful in it but she also looked gorgeous out of it and she couldn't wait to feel her fully bare body on her own. Under her dress the N7 still wore her underwear so those would have to go as well but for now the dress was first.

Together, after Kasumi managed to get the redhead to part from kissing her, they removed the dress and tossed it to the floor leaving Shepard in her underwear and Kasumi still fully dressed but without her hood on.

She couldn't help but to stop and stare at the magnificent woman in front of her even if she wasn't fully unclothed yet. Her beautiful face held a smile; the candle light reflected off of her fair skin the shadows formed accenting her muscle tone. The thief rested her hands on her Shep's shoulders then allowed them and her eyes to begin to trail down her chest slowly.

Both her eyes and hands lingered on the N7s breasts, her currently confined perfect breasts that she couldn't wait to free. She received a pleased grin from the woman and nodded for her to continue touching, feeling and staring at her lovely bosom.

It was a pleasure to do so, the thief leaned forward and gently kissed Shepard's bare chest then continued to place kisses down it to the clothed parts, a thrumming sound echoed in her lovers chest making Kasumi smile into the vibrations that came from it.

A bit reluctantly Kasumi moved away from Shepard's chest and allowed her hands to continue down her chest to her perfect abs and curvy hips all the way to her firm thighs. They were completely bare allowing the thief to run her hands across them in every direction without gloves or clothing covering them for the first time.

Her skin was soft as silk, her scars beautiful, her eyes filled with lust and love, her smile infectious.

Shepard was perfect.

The redhead leaned back up into her capturing her lips with her own while the thief continued to enjoy the feel of the woman's skin under her hands. Wearing gloves constantly made Kasumi really appreciate what it felt like to take them off and actually be able to feel her lover's skin under her hands.

The feel of her scars, the lines her muscles formed, her goosebumps when she first started running her hands across her legs. Kasumi loved her acute sense of touch because of these things, some didn't notice or didn't think much about this but for the thief she found pleasure in being able to know every inch of Shepard's body by feel and being able to feel the shivers of pleasure she caused in the woman she loved.

Her Shep soon had her hands under her tank top allowing her hands to travel up the thief's stomach meanwhile moving her shirt up too. A smile formed on the thief's lips as she brought her own hands back to her tank top and began pulling it off with the help of her lover. Kasumi enjoyed feeling Shepard's skin under her own hands but feeling the redhead's hands gliding across her own body exploring every part of her that they touched felt amazing.

Most would assume that because she was in the military that Shepard would be rough and have rough hands but that was a false assumption. Her hands were soft and they moved across her stomach gently and with care. She wasn't forceful in her actions or trying to race to the finish of who could get their clothes off the fastest or trying to get her on her back to race to a climax.

She moved slowly taking her time to explore every inch of the thief's body that she could feel right now and it felt marvelous sending a fair share of pleasurable tingles across all of her sensory nerves. Every area her Shep touched felt like she was setting her nerves on fire, a fire that didn't burn but sent satisfying responses across the rest of her body.

Hands soon found themselves cupping her breasts as Kasumi herself pulled her top off the rest of the way. The moment her top was on the floor Shepard's lips were on hers again while her hands gently fondled her breasts, a muffled moan escaped the thief from the feeling of the redheads lips on hers again mixed with the feel of her hands playing with her bra covered breasts.

"Can you promise me something Ana?" Kasumi asked as they broke off the kiss.

"Anything.

A smile formed on the thief's lips, "Be gentle."

Shepard breathed out a laugh at the comment then cupped the thief's face in her hands. "Only if you do the same."

Hours Later

"Ana?" Kasumi's quiet voice brought Shepard from her thoughts. They had only finished making love a few minutes ago and the N7 had lost herself thinking about all the pleasure they had both given each other. Both women had poured their souls out to one another and the hours of love they shared had brought them to a euphoric nirvana that neither woman had ever felt before.

If it wasn't for the fact they were both humans and neither one had Asari mind melding capabilities she would have assumed what they had experienced was a meld. Considering neither one of them were blue that left her wondering if their feelings for one another were just so strong that they had experienced the closest human equivalent to a meld.

It was also possible that she was overthinking it but in the end the incredible time they had spent with one another would be on her mind for the next few days by the feel of it. So many of the feelings were clouding her thoughts from the thief's hands running across her bare body, her lips pressing on every part of her, her tongue working wonders just as she promised.

Touch wasn't the only sense that had imprinted itself on her memory though. The scent of the candles mixed with the scent of Kasumi. The sight of the magnificent woman when she had first taken the hood off to when she no longer had any piece of clothing on her, the way the candle light bounced across her body giving her a majestic look, the declaration of love back at the casino.

Everything echoed in her mind and across her body and that was not a bad thing.

Shepard tilted her head down to the black hair sprawled across her chest and the woman she loved who was resting her head on top of chest listening intently to the heartbeat. The N7 herself was running the fingers on her left hand up and down the thief's side while her right hand rested above her own head on top of her still damp hair.

Kasumi's hair was still damp as well and their bodies were more or less in the same situation, not that they were complaining. It was for all the best reasons that they were in this state and to be honest they couldn't wait to do this all over again. "Anything new from my heart?" She asked a smirk in her tone.

The thief giggled softly and tiredly to herself, a sound the redhead cherished each time she heard it. "Besides sounding strong, no. I wanted to ask you something, well two something's actually."

"Shoot."

"Do you…do you have any dreams for the future?"

The question caught the commander off guard, at first she had thought it was meant as a joke but Kasumi sat up and rested on her elbow next to her so they could look each other in the eyes. Well sure she had dreams but those had been before the final run, now she was enjoying each present moment instead of worrying about what was to come. "I did. I haven't thought too much on them since I woke up, been too busy enjoying myself each day with you."

She smiled in response and planted a kiss on her lips. "Flatterer."

"What about you?" The N7 asked.

"As long as I'm with you I'm happy."

Shepard leaned up to her and kissed her way up her bare chest until she met her lips again. "Now who's the flatterer?"

_As long as I'm with her I'll be happy too. _Kasumi grabbed the redhead's left hand with her right and intertwined their fingers; she kissed the back of her hand before resting it against her cheek and closing her eyes. "What kind of dreams did you dream?"

Part of Shepard wanted to ask why she was asking but she decided to answer and find out later. "Well being able to be your lover was one but obviously that one is a reality now." The thief smiled, "Otherwise…I don't know, having you on the Normandy again while we fixed the galaxy and if we ever retired I assumed we'd buy a ship to travel. We'd keep this apartment and buy a secluded beach house on Earth where we could escape from prying eyes, we'd have to hold a reunion each year to get the guys back together again so that'd be here and then we'd visit them when we weren't busy."

She gave a pleasant hmm of approval to the plan. "Anything else?"

"Maybe adopt two kids who need parents, gender and race wouldn't matter to me if we went the adoption route. If we didn't do adoption then we'd obviously talk more about it. Really though they were passing thoughts, I never really believed I'd live to see any of this and I always told myself if I did that I would let you choose and be the best lover I could be for you."

The thief remained silent for a moment. A smile was on her face as she seemed to be mulling over the thoughts she had just given her. All Shepard wanted to do now was fulfill being the best lover she could be and getting Kasumi to smile everyday was a part of that. It made her smile to herself and a happiness build in her heart.

Seeing her lover smile had helped to heal many of the wounds she had been dealt and if it helped her too than making her laugh and smile was what she planned to do every day for the rest of their lives. "I think you'd make a great parent for what it's worth."

"So would you though I think our kids would be little trouble makers." They'd have a thief and a Spectre for parents; it would only be inevitable for them to cause the same amount of trouble their parents had caused growing up and in their adulthood.

"Like parents like kids." She responded a joyful smile on her face.

Shepard smiled and gave her a small tug trying to get her to come back down to her. She wanted to hold her and kiss her again; doing both gave her a peace of mind and filled her with a great joy. "Why do you ask love?"

"Curious to know what the future might hold for us. I like your plan." Kasumi opened her eyes and allowed herself to be tugged to Shepard so they were face to face, "I love you Ana."

Shepard smiled. "I love you more Kasumi." The thief let go of her hand and cupped her face, their lips met once more in a passionate kiss. Once again she found herself getting lost in her lovers touch and the feel of her lips against her own wishing for this reality to never end no matter what came.

As soon as they met they parted just as quick, she gave a faint frown only to receive a smile from Kasumi and a peck on the lips.

"Don't pout. I had one other something to ask you remember?"

A bit reluctantly she nodded, Kasumi did say that and she wouldn't ignore her request knowing that they'd still be together once she was done asking. "Right. What's your second question?"

Kasumi lifted her leg up and laid it down on the other side of the redhead then pushed herself up so she was straddling her waist. She intertwined both of their hands and pinned them above her head before leaning down so they were nose to nose. "Ready for round two?"

They both smiled at one another, "Be gentle." Shepard teased.

"Only if you do the same." The thief teased back.

This was definitely going to be a day and night to remember.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

More than a Dream

Kasumi found herself waking up slowly due to three senses, touch, hearing, and smell. The first one to cause her wake up was the lack of a heartbeat in her ear, she remembered falling asleep to the gentle thumping of her Shep's heart but now it was gone.

The mesmerizing sound had hypnotized her into sleep once they had finished giving their love to one another for most of the evening and into the early of the morning. The redheads heartbeat had slowed down by the time the thief had rested her head on her chest and even though it was slowed down that didn't making it any weaker.

Her heart was special and something Kasumi's ear was very attuned to now. Much like how she now knew every inch of Shepard's body by touch from her scars to her sculpted muscles she knew her Shep's heartbeat. The ba-dum it made was naturally strong like the woman it was encased in but for all its strength it managed to remain gentle, another similarity it held when compared to the woman who it belonged to.

Missing the heartbeat brought her to the next sense, touch. Lacking this brought her from the limbo of sleep to a mostly drowsy awareness.

There was no skin under her hand, no chest under her head or a leg she had hers intertwined around. Her hand now laid on an empty bed that still held some warmth, the chest she had found comfort lying on was replaced by a soft pillow.

The lack of having her Shep in bed with her holding her as she held her was disconcerting, scary even. Old fears of everything going on being nothing more than a dream began to well up inside the thief.

They had had a wonderful night and while Kasumi was used to being the first to wake up, being second to wake up and no longer have the woman she loved there frightened her. She hadn't even woken up at the movements that would have been needed to get out of bed and normally she was a light sleeper especially when it came to waiting for the redhead to wake up.

When she had been waiting for her to wake up from the near coma state she was in the slightest twitch in the air had woken her up, only once had she stayed asleep and that was the time Miranda had found her.

Had this all been a cruel dream that she was now waking up from?

Were all her senses coming together in her dreams to give her what she wanted and make her believe it was real only to now take it away?

If so what condition was Shepard in?

The mere thought of that made the thief's heart quicken and made her forget the third sense. She opened her eyes slowly to the still dimmed room her vision remaining blurry from sleep still having its hold on her. Dimmed lights were a good start, it was similar to what she remembered but the mind was tricky. There had been a few dreams she had woken up from and everything around her looked the same as it had in her dreams only for it to fade away after a few seconds.

By feel she knew her hair was free and she was nude under the covers, another similarity to what she believed to be a memory. She needed to find the N7 first. Finding her would prove whether or not she had dreamed it all. "Ana?" She called silently her voice too tired to convey the true worry she felt.

To her delight a pair of lips pressed against her cheek followed by her lover's voice. "I'm here love." Her gentle voice full of love told her. A hand glided up her arm the touch helping to stir the thief out of her sleep followed by the bed shifting, the beautiful redhead came into sight leaning most of her weight on one knee and one hand balancing next to her.

Her red hair draped over her shoulders tickling Kasumi's face making her laugh softly at the feel before brushing it away, her torso unfortunately had a bra on it again but remained bare everywhere else and she looked to be wearing her N7 shorts.

Shepard's sky blue eyes looked into her own lovingly yet also searching to make sure she was okay, it was a reminder that her thoughts of this being a dream or her Shep leaving were ridiculous and had no foundation.

They were based out of the fear of losing Shepard. The fear had formed itself back when she had been unconscious in the hospital hanging onto the remaining threads of life she had in her. Now that sudden fear she felt for her had only moments before reminded the thief of how spiritually tied to the woman she was and how hard it would be to lose her.

After losing Keiji she had part of her heart torn from her, she had chained up and barricaded what was left to stop it from ever feeling that way again only to now give it to this loving woman.

To have fallen in love with her was amazing, to be loved more than the word love could describe was wondrous, exhilarating; it made her feel alive for what felt like the first time in her life.

Kasumi was in this one hundred percent, mind, body and spirit. If her Shep was hurt she would be there for her to heal the wounds as best she could, she wanted to share in her joys and triumphs and be someone who gave her a fair share of joy and love.

She wanted to be there to comfort her if she ever needed it, to be the very best lover she could be just as Shepard wanted to be for her. The dreams she had shared last night were dreams the thief wanted to one day see as the very reality they lived in now…if she ever lost her then…Kasumi wasn't sure she would be able to go on anymore or have the want to go on.

She knew Shepard would want her to if that ever happened but to lose the redhead was to lose what was left of her heart. Losing her would shake the very foundations of Kasumi's heart and soul now and this time around she didn't have a graybox to escape to and relieve the memories they had together so far.

Losing herself to a device like that wasn't something the thief wanted to do again and she definitely didn't want to lose the redhead anytime soon. _Those dreams are meant to be shared between us Ana not for me to chase on my own so you better not be going somewhere that I can't follow you anytime soon._

Kasumi could feel her heart aching thinking of this and quickly banished the line of thought from her mind moving back to the original worrying question of thinking the N7 had left.

Truly the thought had nothing to hold it up other than in her drowsy mind she had at the time. Shepard wasn't one to play with emotions or one to say she loved someone only to get them in bed and then leave. Her Shep cared deeply about the people she called friends, she looked after them and when she fell in love there wasn't a question in anyone's mind if it was something she truly felt or not.

The redhead had told the squad and Kasumi specifically that she was holding onto her love until she found the person she wanted to give it to.

For her to finally give it meant that she too was in this one hundred percent.

This woman had fought through hell and a thick skull on Kasumi's part to get here. She loved her and had no intentions of betraying that love ever. The thought made Kasumi smile to herself. She was a lucky woman to be loved by such a person like Shepard. "I love you." She whispered tiredly.

Her lover smiled lovingly back then planted a kiss on her lips. "I love you more." Getting the fears from her mind thanks to the touch and kiss they shared reminded the thief of the third sense that caused her to wake up.

An aroma filled the room and it smelled delicious, it wasn't the Ginger Peach smell they had last night though the scent remained under this new smell. The smell of the candle had been imprinted on Kasumi's memory and she'd be able to pick that smell out anywhere now, the new smell was a food for sure but she couldn't place what it was. It was an intoxicating scent and keeping her awake along with making her stomach grumble at not having any of the food.

"What is that delicious smell?" Kasumi asked.

Laughing Shepard readjusted to sit down next to her. "That smell would be courtesy of one Jimmy Vega. He decided to cook his own Huevos Rancheros again for everyone who wanted some."

Vega liked to say that his grandmother made great Huevos Rancheros but his own had become a delicacy among the squad back after their first party and then since coming back now. The man could cook that one meal exceptionally well, the thief wasn't sure he could cook anything else but this meal in particular was amazing.

Only person in the squad who could cook a meal better was Kaiden according to Shepard though Kasumi couldn't vouch for that one not ever tasting the biotic's cooking. That could be amended for a dinner one of these nights if she made it out like a challenge.

_Wording it right so he would have to do it could be difficult, not impossible but definitely difficult._

Asking politely would probably be all that was needed but challenging him to cook a meal would make sure he put his all into the meal. Getting James in on it would help, the two had a similar one ups-manship that James had with Cortez and using this meal of Vega's to challenge Kaiden would certainly help in seeing who had a better meal.

_Too bad none of them cook ramen like my grandmother._ Kasumi let out a contented sigh thinking back to the delicious taste of her grandmother's ramen. No one had cooked a bowl of ramen quite like her and that was a sad sentiment in of itself, sure Rupert back on the SR-2 could cook ramen and so could the thief herself but each felt a bit lame compared to her grandmother.

_I really should have stolen her recipe. Hindsight always in twenty/twenty._

"What are you planning?" Shepard asked her voice holding a smirk.

Kasumi smiled rolling herself onto her back to look into her Shep's eyes. "Me? Planning? I don't know what you're talking about."

"I saw the mischievous look you get when you have a plan of some sort." The redhead replied her eyes holding amusement.

The thief gave a hum as if deciding whether or not to tell her making Shepard smile. She would tell her, eventually but not before teasing her a little. Kasumi worked one of her legs out from under the covers leaving everything else still covered as she ran the tips of her toes across the redheads covered thigh. "I don't know Ana. You may need to convince me that I can divulge such…" She let her toes gently run along the inner part of her thigh. "Sensitive information."

"I wasn't convincing last night?" The N7 quizzed feigning a hurt look.

A laugh escaped Kasumi, thoughts of the night before crept into her mind from the start of their night of love making to the end. She could recall her lovers beautiful nude body in perfect detail, she could see the candle light bouncing off of her, the desire in her eyes as she watched her kiss down her body.

"I may need some reassurance that last night wasn't a dream." Kasumi sat up allowing the blanket to fall off her chest and to her waist; she scooted forward laying her free leg across her lovers lap. Her voice dropped to a more serious caring tone while she rested her hands on both sides of her neck. "That what we shared was real and not some figment of my hopes and dreams teasing my tired mind."

Shepard's look softened now fully understanding why she had called out her name. Although the doubts had no foundation the thief wanted to make sure with the N7 that everything they had shared last night was real, that this wasn't some dream they would wake up from to find nothing they thought was real truly was.

The redhead leaned in capturing the thief's lips and ensnaring the doubts with her love to crush them until they were no more. "It was real. _We _are real and I'm not going anywhere without you." Shepard promised once they parted.

Comfort washed over Kasumi feeling the love of the woman pour into her soul again, she didn't like the doubt she held so to have it crushed into smithereens felt good. Hopefully that doubt would never reform itself in her or she'd reintroduce it to Shepard's love and see how it felt going another round against Commander Shepard.

Not many could survive going one round against her but if they did going a second round was ensuring your own doom. _You hear that doubts, show up again and she'll make sure you regret it. _

Hearing her Shep say that they were real and the decisiveness in her voice sent shivers across her body. She always seemed to know what to say and how to say it to really rally the spirits in those around her.

Another thing Kasumi loved about her.

"You and that honey tongue of yours." The thief mused aloud. She wrapped her arms around her neck embracing the redhead and holding her close to make sure for now she literally didn't go anywhere. The thief felt her Shep's hands wrap around her lower back and her lips press into the crook of her neck.

"Is there something wrong with my honey tongue?"

She drew a small circle with her tongue on the thief's neck. "It's going to get you into pleasure at this rate." Shepard hummed to herself acknowledging the proposition left by the comment. The thief was quicker though. "Now all you have to do is tell me you brought me a plate of that food and you'll have convinced me to tell you my plan."

The woman broke into a hysterical laugh filling Kasumi's ear with the wondrous sound. Her laugh soothed her soul and made her smile madly to herself keeping up with her plan to make sure she made the redhead laugh every day. They detached from one another allowing them to stare at one another holding smiles and happiness in their eyes. "If that's the case then get ready and I'll get you a plate before Grunt decides to eat it all."

"Selfish. You didn't even get me a plate of food." Kasumi turned her head away from the redhead crossing her arms and trying to hide her smile.

"You were asleep." The N7 argued.

The thief turned back to her and poked her in the center of her chest. "And you woke me up leaving me to go eat food without even bothering to get me a plate bringing the smell back with you. _You _were _selfish_. I would have brought a plate back for you."

"You would have had to warm it up once I woke up." The redhead argued again a smile on her face at their debate.

In response Kasumi crossed her arms and turned her head again knowing if she kept eye contact she'd start laughing. "It would have been the thought that counted." She pouted.

Shepard rolled her eyes brandishing a smirk at their play argument. "You're beautiful you know that right?" Kasumi felt her lips press against the bottom of her neck. "And you tease very well." Her lips glided down the center of her chest pressing down softly at different points. "And when you're out helping others I nearly drive myself crazy thinking of you."

"Only nearly?" The thief questioned in an attempt to not lose herself to her lips.

It was a losing battle.

"Only nearly so I don't end up in a padded room unable to see you. It would kill me not being able to see your face or hear your voice. I would miss the way you blush when you lose yourself to thoughts about me and the way you smile in victory when you get me flustered." Heart strings strummed. "Knowing you'll be back later keeps me sane, knowing you'll have that smile on your face."

She glanced up to the thief who was wearing a smile listening to her speak and feeling her soft lips on her chest. "That one there actually." Kasumi grinned running her hands into Shepard's beautiful red hair. "Seeing it keeps my heart going strong."

"If this is bribery for not bringing up a plate of food it's working."

"It's not." Shepard left her chest and met her face to face again wearing a small smile. "I meant everything I said, but if you're taking it as bribery I won't be against it so long as you know I wasn't just saying the words to say them."

"I do." Kasumi said. She leaned in to kiss Shepard only to smile at a new thought. Instead of kissing her she snagged her bottom lip between her teeth gently. "You still owe me breakfast Ana."

The redhead chuckled and the two engaged each other in a kiss. Kasumi brought her hands out from her hair and brought them to both sides of Shepard's face deepening the kiss hoping that they could stay here in this moment forever. They parted though both wearing satisfied smiles as they stared into one another's eyes. "I love you Kasumi."

Her heart swelled hearing it again and being able to see it reflected in her eyes. "I love you more Ana."

They shared one more kiss before Shepard got up after removing the thief's leg grabbing her tank top as she went to go get a plate of food while Kasumi was left to go jump in the shower. While she was looking forward to having the great meal she didn't really want her Shep to go and get it right away.

She had wanted to hold her for a little while longer and, if the redhead had been up for it, strip her out of those clothes again and do a little more than hold each other.

_Not like last night was the only night I get to touch her._

After releasing a sigh Kasumi found all her clothing from the night before and brought them with her to the bathroom. She turned the warm water on and hopped in once it warmed up allowing the water to cascade across her body relaxing her and allowing her to release all of her thoughts for the time being.

That was one of her favorite parts about taking a shower, firstly it had been one of the few times where she was allowed to be free of her hood and let her hair down without worrying about someone seeing her. Secondly it was a place where she didn't have to think about anything that was going on outside of the shower.

Before the war ended it was her place of peace where she could escape from the thoughts of the war or how the Normandy and her commander were doing. Her thoughts strayed to the wellbeing of the SR-2 and the crew from her time and during the war but she was always hoping for the safety of them all including her best friend at the time.

Now it was just an escape from the outside world allowing her to take her time and forget all her responsibilities until it was over.

She closed her eyes having her back faced to the shower head and leaned back a little allowing the water to soak the top of her head and move down across her face and body washing away all the thoughts that would cloud her mind.

"Kasumi." Shepard's voice called from outside of the bathroom. "It'll be around an hour for James to get the food ready since he has to go restock on the food so no rush."

That certainly granted her time to enjoy her shower and then whatever extra time she had left she could spend it with the woman outside waiting for her. _Then again…_Kasumi smiled at the plan she came up with. "Thanks Shep. It's a shame really."

"What is?" The N7 questioned.

Kasumi turned around to face the shower head letting the water run down her chest smiling to herself at the bait being taken. Now all she had to do was reel her in and the time it took for James to get back would pass by a whole lot more fun. "That he's going to take so long. Here I had planned for him to be done quickly and I was going to ask for help from an extra set of hands but I suppose I'll make do on my own with _all _this _extra_ time we have to wait for him to cook the food."

Silence followed and for a moment she didn't think her plan had worked. _Damn. Maybe I should have-_ A pair of hands suddenly ran across her belly pulling her body back slowly into another body. She looked back over her shoulder seeing sky blue eyes looking back into hers and the beautiful redhead's hair getting wet under the water with her.

"I'm sure we can find something to do to make that time go by easier." The N7 teased as her hands glided down her stomach.

"I've got a few ideas." Kasumi teased back.

The redhead smiled. "As do I. I'd ask if you want to compare notes but." Her hands moved down her thighs then began moving back up slowly as they moved to the inner part of them. "I have a feeling we're on the same wave length." Kasumi let out a pleased hum when her hands reached their destination.

This was definitely more than a dream.

* * *

"Hey Esteban where's Lola and Kasumi? I thought they'd be down here waiting for the Vega Special?" James asked as he walked into the kitchen his hands full with groceries.

There was a snort of laughter from Jack who was sitting at the counter finishing her meal. "Your still gonna want to cook it for them." She said not hiding the humor in her tone. The N7 candidate looked to the tattooed biotic in question. "They're having the appetizer before your food Muscles."

"Appetizer? One does not need to have an appetizer when eating the Vega Special. It is the appetizer, main course and dessert all for breakfast." James replied feeling a bit defensive that they'd have another meal before eating his meal. If they didn't finish their food he'd feel a bit insulted that his masterpiece would be wasted.

He put his all into each meal he cooked and the only expectation he had was that those who ate it ate the whole thing allowing all that work be appreciated fully.

To his surprise the tattooed biotic began cackling madly at him. "Uh James." He looked over to Steve who was sitting on the counter a grin plastered on his face. James knew that grin all to well, it meant that he was about to get schooled because he had missed something important in the context of what she had said. "She means that they're spending time together intimately."

"But she said appetizer." James replied feeling like he was still missing the punch line. What did an appetizer and the two spending time together have in common? Surely they were hungry still. Jack, who had nearly gotten control of her laugh, broke into a fit of cackles once more and was grabbing at her sides. "What's so funny?"

"Fool primitive." Javik commented to himself. He was leaning against the fridge and while his comment was nothing new to the muscular soldier he noticed that the Prothean was grinning at his expense the same as Cortez.

He was missing something important that was making him the ass end of a joke that even the Prothean understood and he usually didn't involve himself in such a thing. Granted he had changed since the ending of the war but not by much. Miranda who had overheard the whole thing before walking in shook her head also amused at the confused look on his face.

_What am I missing?_

"She means their having sex James." The former Cerberus operative explained.

An awkward silence fell upon the muscular soldier as her explanation set in. Instead of allowing himself to continue on any line of thought regarding what Jack and Miranda had said he dropped his groceries onto the counter. "Okay! Let's put together some Huevos Rancheros!" James announced to trying to forget the conversation had ever happened.

_Esteban is never going to let me live this down._


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

A Strike to the Heart

"I've got to say James, you make a killer meal." Shepard complimented. It had been a few hours since she and Kasumi had indulged themselves in his cooking, not to mention sometime together beforehand, and still the meal was on her mind.

The smell and taste of the food was grand, everything was put together perfectly from the presentation of the food to the meal itself. James could cook a meal that made military rations and Rupert's cooking back during the Suicide Mission appear worse than they already were.

Looking back the N7 had to agree with her lover on the fact that Rupert had been an evil genius, his food had gotten better after getting him supplies but the meals he cooked didn't even come close to the meal James had made.

"Thanks Lola."

"Hey! Why does he get compliments on his meal but you worry that mine is going to kill you?" Kaiden questioned from the couch. Shepard couldn't help the grin that came to her face at the reminder of the dinner he had cooked after the clone business.

Kaiden had done a good job cooking his own meal and it was tasty, giving him a hard time before he had finished the meal was only for fun. _Guess he's still a little sore about that, especially now that I have complimented the meal James made instead of making a joke._

It was just them in the apartment right now; the others had gone out to help the refugees while EDI, Joker, Steve and Samantha had gone to help lend their expertise in fixing the Normandy.

She already missed Kasumi from her presence to being able to hold her when she wanted to. Shepard wished she could go out and help without dealing with reporters or having to go straight to the Council but right now she was meant to be off duty.

Jumping in to help meant she'd have to deal with politics all over again ending her time off and politics weren't worth losing this down time. Politics could have led to their destruction, a prime example being the Asari holding onto their Prothean beacon until the last minute and Cerberus getting Vendetta.

Shepard didn't want to hold a lifelong grudge but had they not waited until the last moment they wouldn't have had to worry so much. The war had provided enough stress, to have more added onto it was really unnecessary and completely avoidable had the Asari stood up and said "Hey we've got a Prothean Beacon that may have information on the Catalyst, yeah holding onto Prothean information advancing are race ahead of everyone was bad but we can deal with that after the war."

_Only if things had been that simple…may not have lost so many lives but I can't change that and blaming anyone is pointless. The war is over, that's what counts._

The redhead wanted to help those impacted by the war but the war had tired her of politicians who would affect her ability to help them. Someone else could deal with them for now, she was on break and there was no sense in thinking about what she would have to do when her break was over.

That brought her back to the stare Kaiden was giving her for complimenting the cooking James had done.

"James actually cooked on the Normandy remember? How was I supposed to know you could as well?"" Shepard retorted.

"You could have trusted me." He pouted.

Shepard smirked to herself. She wasn't going to point out the flaw in that statement from when he didn't trust her; no sense in bringing up what was now a healed wound for them both.

They were friends again, in the end that's what mattered to her.

"I had to be ready for anything Kaiden. In a galaxy where Reapers had existed being killed by a meal wasn't that farfetched." The second human Spectre shook his head to himself fighting the smirk coming to his face. "Aw come on Kaiden. If it's such a big deal why don't you cook dinner tonight for the crew and we can settle who cooks the best meal."

"Not much of a challenge there, we all know the Vega Special is unbeatable." James boasted.

Kaiden perked up at the challenge sitting up straighter than he was.

_Bingo._

She knew that Kasumi wanted to see how good the biotic could cook compared to James and was looking for the right time to challenge him so the redhead decided to take the initiative in this case.

_Anything to see her smile. _

It was an easy win anyway, the way Kaiden looked they were all in for a good meal later. "Is that so Lieutenant? I guess we'll have to see tonight."

"I guess we will. I hope you like the taste of defeat Major."

_Definitely going to get a good meal tonight, Kaiden loves a challenge. _The N7 smirked to herself watching the stare down between her two friends. Before she could say anything her omni-tool came to life indicating someone trying to reach her on the comm. "This is Shepard." She answered.

"Shepard, its Bailey. I'm on my way in a C-Sec skycar to pick you up." Bailey's tone was one of concern.

_Why would he be on his way here?_ This didn't bode good news in the slightest. "What's going on Bailey?"

He was silent at first, something that made Shepard's gut begin to twist more and more with worry. Finally the man let out a defeated sigh. "Your friend Kasumi was just checked into Huerta Memorial…she's listed in critical condition." For a moment time seemed to stand still, Shepard's breath left her body, her knees felt like they would collapse at any moment.

If it wasn't for the shock paralyzing her body she would have collapsed, _critical condition? _The words echoed in her mind forcing the worry for her lover to skyrocket over every limit she thought possible. "Lola?" James rested his hand on her shoulder trying to wake her from the state she was in.

"I'm almost at the landing pad outside of the Tiberius Towers. I'll explain what I know on the way." Bailey told her.

"I-" Shepard shook her head trying to shake the fear from her body. There was no way Kasumi would leave this life now, not after everything they had been through and certainly not after all the feelings they had shared. _Kasumi will fight against this the same way I did, she won't give up damn it._ "I'll be there."

James and Kaiden had left their banter modes behind for serious looks. Not much made their commander become paralyzed in shock but when it did it warranted attention. "What happened?" Kaiden asked.

She knew what words had to be said to explain the situation but Shepard found it hard to say them. Kasumi had been hurt badly and was in critical condition, the thought of her lover on a hospital bed hanging onto what life she had left in her caused a great pain in her heart. "Kasumi's been checked into Huerta listed in critical condition, Baileys on his way to the landing pad near here."

Their looks hardened hearing that one of the squad was in critical condition and knowing her relationship with the thief. Someone had struck at the heart of their commander and neither looked pleased about it. "I- I've got to go, you guys want to come?" They nodded not wanting to leave their commander to face whatever she would find when she got there.

Shepard ran up to her room to change from her casual tank top and shorts to her N7 hoodie and blue jeans quickly then the trio rushed to get to the landing pad so they could get in Bailey's cab and get to Huerta as soon as possible.

Her heart was tearing in half thinking of all the worst possible case scenarios that could have happened as she made her way to the landing pad. Was she shot? Had there been a transportation accident? How bad were the injuries she had and where were they? Face? Arms? Legs? Upper body?

Had some crazy person or Cerberus affiliated member attacked her? The questions were killing Shepard but they were really only the tip of the iceberg. The real thing getting at her was Kasumi getting hurt and she wasn't there, she hadn't been there to help save her from whatever had happened.

It stung badly.

The redhead knew her lover was careful and didn't need to be protected considering she was a fighter in her own right and had her cloak to escape if she had to but she had gotten hurt.

Kasumi was in critical condition and Shepard had no idea what the hell had happened.

Wasn't the war meant to be over? Hadn't she united everyone? Those bonds that were formed were still holding strong, the N7 heard from her crew about how everyone of every race was helping out each other regardless of whatever hate had been there in the past.

If that was true why was Kasumi in the hospital? One didn't get in critical condition easily and if it was her lover, who was one of the most careful people she knew, then it had to be an attack of some sort.

They reached the landing pad nearly at the same time that Bailey had landed his shuttle. He opened the skycar and Shepard got into the passenger seat while James and Kaiden got in the back. Once the doors were closed allowing them to take off the N7 turned to the C-Sec commander hoping to get answers. "Bailey why can we never meet on better circumstances?" She attempted to joke to alleviate her own worry.

The veteran C-Sec commander gave a short chuckle. "You're telling me Shepard. If I'm not pulling your ass out of a bunch of rubble you're saving my ass from getting it shot off. We _really_ need to find better hobbies."

Shepard gave a half smirk at his response, Bailey was doing his best to not make her worry any worse and avoid being the messenger of bad news but she needed to know what had happened and how. "Do you know what happened?"

"Not fully. I didn't even know about it till I was given a tip from some N7 named Ghost and believe you me when a man with purple eyes tells you to get your ass moving you tend to get your ass moving. Creepy." Bailey said with a shake of his head.

"If Ghost is involved…" Shepard trailed off. _If he's involved in this then this may be worse than I thought_.

Shepard clenched her knee tightly. _Please stay strong Kasumi._ Ghost wasn't involved in low stake missions and wouldn't have involved himself if it wasn't of the utmost importance for the safety of Kasumi.

From what the redhead could gather the man was similar to her when it came to his loyalty to his friends. Kasumi wasn't a part of his crew but they were friends, her getting put into critical condition had to have moved him into action.

_ Which means he'll have a better understanding of what the hell is going on._ "You know him?" Bailey questioned.

"We actually met yesterday…seems longer ago than that." That was thanks to their amazing night together and giving their hearts and souls to one another.

It felt like they had spent weeks together in one day.

"The Casino sting?" Bailey asked. She nodded. "Guess that means those stories I heard about you dancing with her are true than." She nodded again a reminiscent smile crossing her lips, memories of their dance and the evening together after that flashed through her mind.

They had such a wonderful time and then this morning…_and now she's in critical condition._ It was proof of how quick life could change and how you had to make the best of every moment you had with you loved ones. "Do you know how it happened?"

"From what the N7 said there had been an ambush. They jammed her comms and she had taken out a few of them but she was trying to save civilians as well." Of course she had, she wouldn't let civilians get caught in the crossfire when she could save them.

"She got overwhelmed and when he had got there they had beaten her down badly, sent his crew after the ones she didn't take down and brought her back to the hospital. Only doctors he's allowed to see her are his own and Doctor Chakwas." Bailey explained.

"She's in good hands if Doc is there." James assured from the back seat.

Shepard knew he was right, Chakwas was the mother of Team Normandy and having one of her children in critical condition would bolster her to make sure Kasumi recovered to a state far beyond one hundred percent.

Hearing that Ghost had been keeping the other doctors away made Shepard hope he wasn't getting too physical with them but knew he was doing this to protect her identity and limit those who would see her without her hood. _Yet if he's doing it to limit the people who see her without it…_Shepard felt her worry rise even higher.

It meant her face and her body had taken a huge beating.

_Hold on Kasumi._

"What about this Ghost? Shepard can we trust him and his doctor?" Kaiden asked from the back.

The N7 couldn't blame him for his lack of trust in someone he didn't know. They had all fallen for the new recruit persona Brooks had put on, trusting someone outside of their crew and the friends they had made outside of it was something hard for them to do.

There was no way they would ever put trust in someone claiming that their commander's life was in danger without doing a thorough background check on who the person was claiming to be.

Ghost was different though. Her trust in him had nothing to do with him helping out on their date as it did Kasumi and Hackett trusting him. Shepard had watched the purple eyed N7 very carefully in the time at the Casino, although he had a very mysterious air of him thanks to his past and real name being an unknown his loyalty to his squad reminded her of her own.

He may not have started as an Alliance soldier but he took his commitment to it seriously, the only hand in this that he had was saving Kasumi from being killed and if the redheads gut feeling was right than he would also want to find the people behind this.

There was no doubt in Shepard's mind that he and his crew were trustworthy. "Yes and I don't say that because he was there on my date with Kasumi. He's an enigma but I'd trust him and his crew to watch my back in a firefight."

"You're not replacing us, are you Lola?" James quizzed a bit of humor in his voice.

"And miss out on the meals you cook? Hell no." Shepard responded.

Humor was nice; it eased her nerves from the gradual worry building within her heart. Bailey landed the skycar allowing the trio to exit. "Shepard." The N7 turned back to the C-Sec commander. "If there's anything I can do to help let me know. I'll see if I can get anything out of the men we have in custody."

"Thank you Bailey." He nodded then closed the doors to the skycar. Shepard and her squad proceeded to Huerta Memorial Hospital managing to dodge through the crowds of people without any problems.

As she walked she searched through the crowd looking for the purple eyed N7, his Drell doctor or Doctor Chakwas. When they finally got through to the area of the hospital where she, Thane and Kaiden had been kept she found Ghost sitting outside of a door resting his head into both of his hands as he stared at his feet.

He wore a white hooded tank top with the hood up, black clamdiggers and black boots. His shirt and shorts appeared to be padded with armor, his forearms had two black gauntlets that covered almost all the way up to his elbow and ended at his wrist while his upper arms had bicep guards on them made of a material that looked solid yet flexible.

For weapons he had two pistols, one M-11 Suppressor which the Alliance had begun to manufacture after the Cat-6 mercenaries the Shepard Clone had used were taken out. The other was an Executioner Pistol but instead of Blood Pack colors it was a dark purple similar to his eyes along with a skull painted onto it.

His only other gun she could see was a Black Widow sniper rifle on his back; he looked ready to take down a platoon of soldiers all on his own. "Ghost."

His head shot up at the sound of her voice his purple eyes meeting hers holding worry in them. "Shepard…" He looked back down at the ground. "You know when I wished that we'd meet again this wasn't how I meant for it to happen."

Shepard approached him her two companions at her side, Ghost looked ashamed and beaten down emotionally. His smirk and cheery attitude he had at the casino was gone and it didn't look like it was coming back anytime soon. "Are the doctors working on her?" He nodded slowly but didn't offer any words; she doubted any consolation would really ease any of her worry anyways. "How bad is it?"

The man let out a heavy sigh. He had been the bearer of bad news the same as her too many times and found that it never got any easier no matter how many times he gave it. Shepard understood the struggle that came with giving this type of news. She had given it to too many people during the war and even before it.

For some giving the news became easier over time, Shepard envied those people because no matter how much she had to give the news it never got any easier. "Bad. Her face was bruised and bloodied and she was having a hard time breathing so I'd guess broken ribs as well. She…" He stopped and pulled out a red rose that had a broken stem. "She wanted me to give you this and apologize that she had broken it."

A vice grip clenched around her heart hearing that her lovers face had been covered in blood and seeing the broken red rose in his hand. She took it and noticed tape around the broken part that had come off. "I tried to fix it but my hands were shaking too much." Ghost said. She looked back down to him and noticed that his hands were still visibly shaking and his foot was tapping on the ground at a rapid pace.

She tied the tape around fixing the rose then looked to the purple eyed N7. "Thank yo-"

"Don't you dare thank me for this." His tone changed from worried to angered at himself. He clenched his hands into fists resting them on his knees as they bounced from his feet tapping on the floor. "I should have been faster."

"Wait you mean you knew there was an attack coming?" Kaiden asked in confusion.

There was a twitch from Ghost, the biotic in his confusion allowed a bit of accusation cross his tone. It seemed unintentional from Shepard's perspective knowing the difference between when he was truly accusing someone and accidently fairly well. "Drop the accusations Spectre." Ghost's tone was cold. "You won't be telling me anything I haven't told myself."

"Hey man he didn't mean anything by it; we're just trying to figure out what happened to our friend." Vega interrupted before Kaiden could say anything.

"She was attacked by a group of people whose affiliation we aren't sure yet. Cerberus maybe but they usually don't make a habit of attacking someone in an open space, after you guys took their leader out they've mostly been scrambling to stay hidden not bring attention to themselves." Ghost explained.

He unclenched his hands but they still shook as his legs bounced them around. Shepard couldn't figure out if it was nervousness or bottled rage trying to escape him. "We never stopped watching after you guys so when a large group of people start converging on someone from your squad we tend to mobilize quickly."

"And when you got there she was already being beaten down." Shepard finished for him. He nodded again. Shepard didn't blame him for the predicament they found themselves in, she was actually thankful he had showed up to save her from what was going to be a death sentence when she and her crew were unaware.

If he hadn't showed up it was probable this would have been a more heartbreaking meeting than it was. "If it isn't Cerberus then who would attack Kasumi?" Kaiden asked bringing his hand to his chin in thought.

"Any age old enemies Lola?"

There wasn't any she could think of, Balak was still out there somewhere but considering the circumstances she had to doubt it was really him behind this. He wasn't a trusted ally but he wasn't a complete enemy right now, not while the Batarian's were finally being aided by the Council and getting a better standing in the Galactic community thanks to their own efforts in the war. "No. None that I know of anyways, I settled most of my quarrels." Shepard responded.

Feet colliding on the floor at a quickened pace brought all fours attention to a Turian Shepard had never met before. His eyes were an amber color and his skin tone was similar to Nihlus, the markings on his face were white and he was wearing similar armor to the deceased Spectre. "Captain." The Turian greeted his voice out of breath.

Ghost stood up looking worried as he moved to the winded Turian. _Must be the other Turian from his squad. _"Carson what's going on?"

Carson was one of his pilots and by the looks of it he had also been helping track the guys his team had been chasing. The Turian being here meant that something bad happened or he was reporting the news he had in person to make sure no one was tracking their comms. "We caught one of those bastards…" Carson shook his head. "But the others blew themselves up at a fucking refugee camp."

A pained sigh escaped the purple eyed N7. "How many?"

"Ten dead, thirty critically injured and another fifty stuck between critical and minor injuries. All civilians." Carson reported.

"Spirits." Ghost shook his head and began to pace. "Not that it matters but were they all one race or was it a large cross species bombing."

Whoever had done this were a bunch of radicals, blowing themselves up at a refugee camp after beating down Kasumi. If this wasn't spelling Cerberus or a group like them than Shepard didn't know who it was. "It was a human camp."

Ghost came to a dead stop his shoe making a screeching sound on the floor as he did. "Humans attacking Kasumi and then blowing up a purely human camp…this doesn't add up for a Cerberus MO, they'd recruit not blow up a bunch of their own race for nothing but a news report of human on human violence."

"You sure, Cerberus did a lot of messed up crap to humans during the war." Shepard said.

Memories of Horizon crossed all three Normandy members, the refugees being turned into Husks, executing the people on the Citadel during the Coup. Cerberus really didn't care whether or not humans were hurt in their attacks, blowing up a refugee camp wasn't all that surprising if it was them.

Ghost shook his head. "No I'm not sure but this does make me theorize that whoever is behind it is after you." All three Alliance soldiers made noises of confusion at how he deducted that. "Kasumi is your lover, attacking any of your crew would have made it personal but Kasumi specifically? Jamming her comms? Getting her while she was alone? That is far more than a coincidence."

"But why would a bunch of humans blow up a human camp? It doesn't make sense Captain. If they wanted to screw up Commander Shepard's alliances they would have attacked the Krogan's or the Turian's trying to prove that we can't work together."

The Turian had a point; if they really wanted to mess up everything they would start trying to kill the other alien races.

Killing humans seemingly did nothing but collateral damage to their own race.

"I don't know." He started pacing again. There were so many unknowns right now, Shepard agreed with Garrus in hating being blind definitely when it came to her crew being hurt and not having any idea who did it or why. Ghost finally came to a stop turning to his Turian pilot. "I want you to find out all the individuals that had been at that camp and persons of interests that they were or may have known, maybe it wasn't the whole they were going after but an individual."

If it was an individual there was a possibility they had managed to not kill the person which would give them another lead to follow. "Sounds like a ghost hunt…er no pun intended there." James commented offhandedly.

Ghost didn't acknowledge the lieutenants comment. "Also wire credits to the camp and all the families harmed by it, if we can purchase the equipment needed to stop those in critical condition from dying then do that as well."

"Yes sir." Carson gave a salute.

"Find out what kind of bomb they used and forward all relevant data to the Shadow Broker. She may be able to help us track this down."

Carson nodded and left to go do what Ghost asked of him. The purple eyed N7 turned back around to Shepard and her squad. "You know the Shadow Broker?" Shepard quizzed. He had said she and most people believed the Shadow Broker was a he, granted the previous Shadow Broker was but Liara and Shepard had made sure there was nothing left of him.

_Does he know Liara?_

He smirked his usual smirk. "I may have lent a hand in helping her get your body back. Meant to help her get Feron back but you beat me to the punch." Ghost rubbed the back of his neck. "Figured you'd want to find these guys too so instead of waiting to send the data when we showed up on your doorstep I'm sending it ahead."

It was a good thought, the sooner Liara, Glyph and EDI got to work on any and all data the sooner they'd find whoever was behind this. Add on the men Bailey had in custody and the man Ghost's crew had grabbed and Shepard was left with little doubt they'd find who was behind all this…if they weren't one of the people who had blown themselves up. "At least you know I'm not sitting out of this." Shepard responded.

There was no way she was going to let him be the one to take down the people who had hurt her lover.

They wanted to get her attention well now they had it and all its fury.

The doors to the room opened revealing Doctor Chakwas and a Drell walking out. The Drell was a dark blue color but otherwise was very similar to Thane in how he held himself. Their looks were sympathetic to Shepard and a small nod to her told the redhead that Kasumi would be okay and that she could go in and see her. "I'll be right back guys." Shepard told them all before entering the room red rose still in hand.

On the bed laid her lover without her hood on and an oxygen mask covering her face. There were bruises massed around her eyes and cleaned wounds from cuts that had helped to bloody her face.

Even though she was unconscious and covered in bruises Shepard believed her to be just as beautiful as she was this morning, the bruises stoked a fire within the commander though.

This was how it had been for her lover when she was hanging between life and death, unable to talk to her, unable to see her beautiful smile and hear her wondrous laugh. It was painful to see her in such a state and know that she hadn't been there beside her.

Shepard walked to the side of the bed placing the rose on the stand next to her. "Hey Kasumi, I don't know if you can hear me or not but if you can then you better listen up." She rested her hands on Kasumi's forearm. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to stop this from happening, I know you wouldn't blame me but at least when you wake up you'll have some witty quip about me always traveling in threes for a reason."

A small laugh escaped the redhead. She could practically hear Kasumi's voice making a joke about her current situation instead of taking it seriously. "I also get to use this as an excuse to accompany you everywhere so if that was your master plan it worked." She ran her hand up her arm gently hoping it would stir the woman to no avail. "When Bailey told me you were in critical condition I was scared, scared that I was going to lose you after finally being able to hold you in my arms and tell you that I loved you."

Shepard squeezed her hand tightly feeling the fear of it all come back. "I'm still scared that when you wake up you won't remember my face or our love…and if you don't you are going to be in _so_ much trouble." She knew that Kasumi would have laughed at that, it only made the pain in her heart ache more. "But you know what, that fear is going to be what helps me drive a spear right into the hearts of the bastards who did this to you."

"I don't know who did this or why but I swear I'm going to find out and make them regret ever laying a hand on you." Shepard leaned forward and kissed Kasumi on the forehead. "Come back to me and give me that rose yourself love, that's an order." She whispered to the unconscious thief.

Whoever had done this had a target on their back and it was only growing larger by the second. No one hurt her crew and got away with it, not the Illusive Man, not Kai Leng, not Saren and definitely not a crazed group of people who were now at the top of her kill list.

Attacking her crew was striking at the very heart of the commander, attacking Kasumi was that sentiment multiplied by a thousand.

There were only a few times where Shepard had ever allowed things to be personal, losing Thane to Kai Leng was one of those times, losing Ashley thanks to Saren was another. She preferred not to allow things to get personal but sometimes that wasn't in her power and when they did get personal she stopped at nothing to finish what the person had started.

This was personal now and she was going to end who did this. Not only had they hurt Kasumi but they had bombed a refugee camp in the midst of recovery efforts.

_You better start preparing for the end you bastards because the clock is ticking and I'm coming for you._

They may have struck a blow to her heart but she was going to strike right back and her strike would be a hell of a lot harder.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

A Ghost of the Past

Darian hadn't seen Ghost so fired up in years, not since the day they chose to leave the Blue Suns. A day that was scarred into each of their memories no matter how hard they tried to forget, an empty void had been left behind and nothing could fill it up.

It was going on ten years since they had left the Suns and none of the crew felt regret over the decision.

Betrayal had a way of making leaving easy.

Deep down the Turian knew Ghost still tortured himself over what happened, he wasn't a forgiving person as it was especially when it came to mistakes he had done himself. If the human ever forgave himself Darian would be surprised.

He had found their leader alone in deep thought many times over the years, his mind going over ten thousand different things but always returning to how the Blue Suns betrayed them. The purple eyed man usually batted away his questions with a smirk and a joke yet he knew better than to think he was okay.

Being his friend for longer than the Turian chose to remember allowed him a better insight on all the quirks of Ghost. He knew when he was hiding behind his casual smirk and when it was best to allow him to keep up that guard.

Best friends or not there were just some subjects the two didn't talk about, Darian left those conversations to Tara.

The Asari had been his lover for years now; Ghost had built up bonds with his whole crew over the years gaining their trust, respect and loyalty through his actions and what he stood for. That bond had grown into the familial friendship they all shared with one another and their leader but it had grown into more between Tara and him.

What the finer details of how their bond grew were Darian didn't know. He didn't really want to ask anyways since it wasn't his business and he was sure they'd spare no detail to get a reaction out of him.

From what he did know and notice at the start was there always was chemistry between them, they had both passed flirts back and forth even before they became an item. The Turian had to assume the playful flirts turned into real flirts at some point, after the huge fall out with the Suns she had been the one to go make sure he was okay.

Tara had a way with words when it came to soothing or stopping Ghost when he needed either. Darian's idea of helping had been to bring him to a bar and drink him under the table to get his mind off things but the man didn't drink any alcohol so that punched a huge hole in his plan.

After she went up to his cabin to be there for him the Turian noticed a change in their behavior with one another. They had become closer emotionally; she had in a way become a support for him to get back on his feet after being knocked down so hard.

Over the years after they had become closer than Darian had ever seen two people become. He hoped that in the future after they had all passed that Tara wouldn't lose the happiness he saw in her eyes every time she was with Ghost.

_Damn different lifespans. Galaxy just had to have diversity didn't it?_

With the help of Tara and the rest of the crew their purple eyed leader pressed on no matter how much guilt he felt.

He had led them from the slums of Omega and Blue Suns to becoming the most powerful mercenary crew in the Galaxy to now the first ever cross species N7 team.

Ghost had done his best to turn what he saw as his own personal failure into a something good, and he had. They had turned their lives around and for almost ten years Ghost had kept the crew and the people he called friends safe from the clutches of death.

_And now some crazy bastards have put Kasumi in the hospital and blow up a refugee camp._

It had happened all too fast for them to react, one second everything had been normal the next comms were jammed around Kasumi and a large group moved in.

_Moved efficiently I'll give the bastards that, _Darian thought. They had planned their attack perfectly knowing where to find Kasumi alone and kept her from informing her own people of the attack. Had they not been keeping watch it was likely the way Shepard would have found out of the attack was when a C-Sec homicide team would have shown up on her doorstep.

_Thank the Spirits it didn't come to that._ The Turian didn't want to think about how the hero of the galaxy would have been affected by the loss of another friend and recent lover. She had suffered enough pain as it was in his eyes there was no need for the Spirits to add more.

Ghost, Tara, Gallick, Whitney and Darian had been on the scene as quickly as they could and what they found made the Turian's plates itch.

Kasumi had been on the ground barely conscious still gripping a red rose tightly in her hand as the men, if you could truly call them that, continued to beat her down saying things Darian wouldn't repeat.

It was a brutal reminder of his days back on Omega, the strong constantly beating down on the hopeless and weak like it was some type of sport. The thought of it all made Darian remember why he enjoyed killing mercenaries; similar to Archangel they had become a group to beat down those who beat down on the weak.

Their ship, faces, and armor had become so well known the sight of them usually caused a mass panic among mercenaries. Whoever these men were had seen them and bolted as well not chancing getting caught if they could help it.

He and the others chased after the men while Ghost took Kasumi back to the hospital, _"Bring me back their heads on pikes!" _Ghost had ordered before leaving.

The order didn't need to be said, each one of them had planned to anyways. Unfortunately their chase had proven to be a mostly complete failure. They had caught one of the guys and the others had blown themselves up at a refugee camp.

Disappointment filled the Turian second in command at not being able to stop the men from harming so many civilians. Another tragedy after a war full of them, and this time he could have stopped it.

Ghost had already begun helping those they could and assured him that capturing the one was good enough. _"You didn't know they had bombs Darian, don't beat yourself up about it. We'll find what we need from this shithead and stop the people behind this."_ Ghost had told him.

Darian didn't doubt his leader one bit, they had been caught off guard but now they were ready and looking for a fight. _One man is enough and under the pressure of both Ghost and Shepard I'm sure we'll get a clearer picture on what is going on._

Going against Ghost would have been hell anyways but adding Shepard into this equation only sped up how quick their new buddy would talk. He had yet to see Shepard since the casino but he knew he would soon, she was gathering her crew as their own crew, minus Grissom and Valera, waited patiently in her apartment for them all to arrive.

Grissom was helping Doctor Chakwas heal Kasumi while Valera was put on guard duty considering she was the least likely to punch every doctor in sight that looked suspicious. _Not like Grissom wouldn't be able to handle it but if one of those bastards tries to bomb Huerta Val will be able to spot them and take them down without another bombing happening._

Valera had a temper and was known amongst their crew for tossing them all around at one point or another all in the name of humor yet on a serious assignment like this she was of a clear mind and her eyes keen to her surroundings.

The other two reasons for not sparing more of their crew for guard duty were firstly because they were sure Shepard's crew would want to stick one of their own with Valera. It was no secret to the N7 Talons that Brooks had duped their crew making them less trustful of newcomers, Shepard seemed to trust them enough but her crew would be a different story.

They wouldn't risk the chance of them being some sort of splinter group trying to gain their trust as they pulled the strings from behind a curtain.

_Almost getting killed by a clone, nearly getting stuck in Iridium vaults and having your ship nearly stolen would surely make anyone wary of newcomers claiming danger. Carson and Val would go crazy if someone tried stealing our ship,_ the Turian mused.

None of the N7 Talons were offended by this notion of distrust, they knew if the same thing had happened to them they would be in the same position and thus made sure they would be fully honest.

Not that they weren't anyways.

Darian looked to Ghost who was pacing back and forth in a quiet rage bringing him to the second reason the whole squad, minus their Asari pilot and Drell medic, were there. His purple eyes cut through his hood at their unconscious prisoner, his pacing reminded the Turian of a predator in a cage waiting to be released on its prey.

Ghost was usually a sarcastic, happy and compassionate man to his friends and deadly to his enemies though he always remained calm of mind.

This pacing and furious version of their leader was not new but a rare sight for the last almost ten years. So rare there was an un-spoken agreement for them to step in and stop him if he lost all of his temper.

"_A viper coiled and ready to strike."_ Brad had once described this mode Ghost was in. It was some sort of animal known to humans, like a smaller version of a thresher maw though it didn't go underground, just slithered around apparently. _Gross._

His description was accurate to a degree, Ghost was definitely waiting to strike but his predatory stalking reminded him more of a Varren in a cage waiting to be released on its victim. Brad had tried to give another metaphor about a lion or a wolf though it had fallen short on the Turian, he wasn't sure what either animal was like but if it resembled this then he would have to agree.

Tara and Darian were the most worried out of the group, or the ones who showed the most worry. Brad, Whitney, Gallick and Kar were all standing in the kitchen spread out watching their leader or staring holes into the man who had caused Ghost to go into this state by attacking Kasumi.

Carson was on his omni-tool his eyes and fingers darting around sorting through all the information he had. The amber eyed Turian was definitely an information gathering specialist and Darian was almost certain if he wasn't so loyal to their crew that the Shadow Broker would have hired him on to help.

Once Carson started there was little that escaped him. It was probably because of how fast he had to coordinate in the pilot seat that allowed him to coordinate between five layers of information without missing one detail.

Darian was more of a coordinator of battle plans and ground squad tactics instead of a sift through tons of information kind of Turian. Give him a battlefield or a squad to coordinate with and he'd give you results, ask him to sift through data and you were likely to find him sleeping from boredom.

Had Carson no information to go through the Turian second in command knew he'd be here visibly worrying with him. It was probably better that he head information to sift through distracting him from their pacing leader. In the pilot seat the amber eyed Turian had nerves of steel, out of it he was out of his element which made him naturally nervous.

Whoever had planned this attack on the refugee camp and Kasumi had just ignited a fire in Ghost and Shepard, two people everyone should avoid getting on the bad side of. The Turian N7 wasn't sure how Shepard was going to be once she arrived with her crew but he knew Ghost and how he reacted when someone hurt his friends.

It would take all of them to hold back their leader if he fully snapped. He had the strength of a few Krogan once he snapped and they only had one to hold him back. Gallick had a submission net but it didn't seem like a good idea in general, Tara was against using her biotic's on her friends still he was sure she would stasis him if she had to.

As for Darian himself he had no qualms using his own biotic's to knock some sense into Ghost if he had too, he had done it before and he would do it again. Sure the human would be aggravated at him for a little while but he would get over it, he always did.

They needed this bastard in front of them alive and cooperative not dead like they all wanted him to be. Dead didn't get them what they needed and seeing as his pals killed themselves he probably wouldn't care if they killed him, hell he'd probably try to get them to kill him anyways.

Death was too easy of a punishment for this guy and the men Bailey had, he deserved a harsher fate. _Too bad we can't get to a Batarian prison right now,_ Darian thought.

Once he gave up the information they needed then it was up to Ghost or Shepard what his fate would be, it wasn't his place to choose but he could advise if need be.

As Ghost approached Darian in his pacing the Turian rested a hand on his shoulder stopping him from continuing. "Calm down Ghost. Grissom said Kasumi would pull through." He reminded.

Under the words and in his stare he was telling him not to kill this guy and remember that he was a radical of some sort and wouldn't crack because of pain. His buddies had blown themselves up willingly, he would need to get more methodical or become his best friend instead of violent if he was to get information out of this man.

"I know. Brad see if there is a bucket we can fill up and a towel." Ghost ordered.

_Shit._

Tara jumped off the counter she was sitting on and stepped in front of Ghost giving him a serious look. It was a good thing she was reacting quickly because Darian had no idea what to say at this point. "No." Her tone held no argument. "Love I will not allow you to waterboard this prick, even if he deserves it." She rested her hands on his shoulders. "Don't do this, please."

"Not like it'd work on a bastard who would have blown himself up given the chance." Gallick stated. _Good._ The crew was coming together to stop their leader from doing something that not only wouldn't work but was something they didn't want Ghost to do. "Start by crushing his hand with that enforcement gauntlet I programmed for you."

Darian wanted let out an exasperated sigh at Gallick but then he saw Ghost's lips quirk up into a smirk. It was the first smirk he had allowed to show up on his face since finding Kasumi beaten down, now they had an opening.

The Turian second in command nodded to the others to jump in on it as well. As bad as it seemed if they could get him to smile by trying to one-up each other in things they would do then maybe he'd snap out of this fury mode. "Breaking his hand? Is that all you can think of Gallick? I was thinking of kneecapping him." Kar offered.

"Kneecapping? Seriously is that the best you can do Kar? I'd tie his chair to something and hang him out over a balcony, then I'd finally have a punching bag other than Brad." Whitney teased punching said man in the shoulder.

"Electrocution would be my way, stick his feet in a bucket of water and have at him. More effective than your brute force approaches." Carson commented offhandedly.

"You calling me violent Carson?" Whitney questioned.

The amber eyed Turian mumbled quiet words under his breath instead of responding to the hot headed human. Whether or not she would actually hit him was unknown but Carson was one for playing it safe. "Calling you violent is like calling Kar large. It's an understatement." Brad answered for the Turian.

"What are you saying Brad? It sounds like you're saying I'm fat." Kar asked jumping in on the banter as well.

Ghost was smiling, _good work guys._ Bantering with each other was a good way to break their purple eyed leader out of any type of bad mood he was in. "Well Kar, Boss and I didn't want to say it to you but we've been thinking about widening your bed a little and getting stronger supports. It groans under your…mass and we're worried man. When you get your age you gotta watch out for your health." The human replied.

"Now you're saying I'm old and unhealthy?" The Krogan quizzed.

"He's just saying that with age comes wisdom and we can't have that wisdom snuffed out because of a bad diet." Tara jumped in seeing how it was helping.

"Right wisdom, like how to blast a thresher maw in the face at close range and live to tell the tale or how to head-but somebody into submission." Brad tried to amend his earlier statement.

Ghost finally chuckled and his body seemed to no longer appear tense. "Brad you are so going to pay for that later." The purple eyed leader said.

He was probably right but Brad had done it for a good cause, Kar would probably make him try to out drink him anyways so it wasn't a big deal overall. "Finally." Whitney sighed aloud. "I thought Captain Brooding was going to stick around until we killed this prick."

Thankfully that wasn't the case; Ghost had gotten his head back on straight to where he needed to be to get the information out of this radical. _At least we'll only have one loose cannon in the form of Shepard instead of both leaders wanting to rip this man apart._

"Sorry guys." Their leader apologized.

"This wasn't your fault Ghost, if we hadn't caught on we'd be looking at a far worse situation than the one we have." Gallick told him.

Ghost nodded in understanding to the Batarian's words. "Captain, Shepard and her crew have just arrived." Carson stated.

"Alright. Brad find me that bucket, I'm not going to waterboard him but its time he woke up. I've been told a splash of water and a bucket to the head is a sure fire way to wake someone up." Ghost replied.

The crew smirked, that was definitely the Ghost they were more accustomed to. "So I bet a thousand credits Shepard makes this guy shit his pants." Brad betted as he searched the kitchen cupboards for a bucket.

"A thousand Ghost breaks the guy before Shepard does." Gallick bet.

"Shepard." Carson jumped in.

"Ghost." Tara said.

_This is more like it._ Darian let out a contented sigh; with Ghost back in the right mindset they would find the puppeteer who orchestrated the attack on Kasumi and the refugee camp. Shepard would definitely help to speed this up; no one crossed her and lived to tell the tale. "Sorry Ghost but I'm going to say Shepard." Darian put his credits in.

"Traitor." The purple eyed N7 responded brandishing his smirk.

"Whitney?" Brad asked pulling out a bucket and putting it in the sink.

"Tough one. On one hand I want to say Ghost because I've seen him break a lot of people using words, on the other hand you have Shepard who has had her lover put into the hospital and a refugee camp destroyed afterwards. Hell hath no fury like a woman or a lover scorned." Whitney responded.

Brad whispered "Amen" under his breath. Putting into consideration the amount of times Whitney had kicked his ass Darian wasn't surprised he not only agreed but did so under his breath hoping not to get punched. "To risky to bet if you ask me, Pyjak usually does it but Shepard being involved makes it tough to bet." Kar agreed.

"Yeah I'm out on this one too, you five have fun." Whitney said.

* * *

Shepard had most of her full crew behind her and each one of them were ready to kick some ass when they found the mastermind who had attacked Kasumi and the refugee camp.

It was time for them to come out of their shore leave to remind whoever had done this that they weren't dead and they weren't going to stand for anyone hurting innocents or their friends.

Especially their friends.

With her now were James, Kaiden, Garrus, Tali, Miranda, Jack, EDI, Liara, Javik and Grunt. Wrex, Samara, Jacob and Zaeed were busy and Shepard didn't see any sense to pull them away from helping others, helping their people in the case of Wrex, or being with their lover in the case of Jacob.

Kasumi wasn't with them either but the N7 was trying not to think about her bruised face or the oxygen mask covering it. She preferred to remember the good memories they had shared so far, they hurt her heart still but they also spurred her to solve this and not do something her thief wouldn't want her to do.

Until the redhead could hear her voice, feel her skin, see her smile and hold her again Kasumi was going to serve as her moral compass. The thief would have laughed at the notion of herself being a moral compass for Shepard due to her thieving nature but she was. Knowing she wouldn't want her go over the deep end like her heart wished her to do all because of something she had no control of.

Truthfully deep down in Shepard she wanted to rip the spine out of the person who had done this using her biotic's, not that she had ever done it before but it was the thought she had. A thought Kasumi wouldn't want her to have, she would want her to relax and do this the smart way.

A way that didn't involve ripping out someone's spine as a trophy because where would they put it anyways? She wouldn't be able to resell it and there was no way they would be keeping it.

Shepard smiled softly to herself knowing Kasumi would have said something similar, she could hear her voice and see her smile as she made light of the situation. It was thoughts like these that were keeping the commander grounded.

Going after her thief had made it personal. Attacking the refugee camp full of innocent people who had survived the war and had hope to live their lives peacefully after all the hell they had seen was salt in a _very_ raw wound.

The radicals had killed the hopes and dreams of ten men and women, there were still thirty critically injured and another fifty with critical to minor injuries who could also die.

Peace was all they wanted and now they were dead, dying or hanging onto what life they had left hoping not to pass from this world to the next.

This atrocity would not go unpunished so long as Commander Anastasia Shepard, her crew and the N7 Talons drew breath, of that she was certain.

It was no longer an if they caught the mastermind and his lackeys, it was a when.

"Shepard you're sure we can trust this guy and his crew?" Garrus asked.

"Don't worry about him Garrus, Ghost and his guys are good people." Jack answered.

They had stayed with Jack and her students instead of going to the F.O.B. to protect them from Reaper forces winning them the trust of the tattooed biotic. "Ghost doesn't betray his friends and he's known Kasumi longer than any of us. I'm more worried that he's been alone with one of the men from the attacks in your apartment Shepard, he may have left a huge mess." Liara said.

"Messes can be cleaned. I just want to know who the hell is behind this all. Did Glyph get anything from the information he sent through?" Shepard asked.

She hoped for a yes but knew better, for all the speed Glyph, Liara and EDI had they didn't have a lot of information to work with yet. Carson had been sending through information as he found it which limited how much the trio could search through. "We have names of the people at the refugee camp and those who bombed it but we're still trying to find how they all connect." Her Asari friend answered.

The group exited the elevator allowing them to enter the apartment; they found Ghost and his crew in the kitchen spread out across it while an unconscious man was tied to a chair. "Ah welcome, I was about to start the party without you. Jack, Liara." Ghost greeted nodding to both.

Both women nodded back as Shepard examined the two people of the group she didn't know. She knew Gallick, Kar, Tara, Carson, Darian and Ghost but the two new humans among the group she had yet to meet.

The first was a woman sitting on the counter closest to where they had entered at. She had crimson colored hair and tan skin as well as brown eyes. The crown of her hair was in large French braid down the center going all the way to the ends of her hair while the rest of her hair flowed down normally.

This crimson haired woman held a fire inside of her. Shepard could tell by the look in her eye that she had a take no bullshit from anyone attitude yet there was a respect towards the commander and her crew under it as well for her own leader and crew.

By what the commander could remember from the Casino introductions this woman had to be Whitney. The only other woman of the crew she hadn't met was Tara's sister so by process of elimination it had to be her.

Meaning the man of the crew was Brad who had helped but she had not met personally, he had short spiky brown hair and green eyes, his complexion was fair and by height of the group he was definitely the tallest not including the Turian's or Kar.

He had an energy in his eyes similar to Whitney though his was less of a take no bullshit and more of a start bullshit for shits and fights.

A bit of Krogan in him as Grunt would say.

"Brad and Whitney I presume?" Shepard asked.

Both nodded wearing smirks, "So my charming good looks have stretched by word of mouth even to the Normandy crew." Brad boasted.

"You wish idiot. We're the only two aside from Val she hasn't met, try using that tiny brain of yours." Whitney chastised.

"Everyone sensing sexual tension raise your hands." Ghost said raising his own hand.

All of Ghost's squad minus the two raised their hands and Shepard couldn't help but smirk as she and her own crew raised their hands. Both humans lowered their heads sighing in defeat, they had obviously been through this before and arguing against it didn't work out so well.

"Guess every crew has two people with sexual tension." Tali teased Jack and Miranda.

The two biotic's grumbled as Shepard took notice to a bucket on the counter next to Ghost. The purple eyed N7 followed her questioning gaze to the bucket then a predatory smile made its way to his face. "So Shepard I see you've noticed my wake up call. Does this mean we're ready to start?"

"Wake up call?" Garrus asked.

Ghost nodded grabbing the bucket and stepping in front of the unconscious man. There was the sound of sloshing water as he lifted the bucket up and rested it on his other hand. "Right, give the word and sleeping beauty here gets to wake up for the ball. Carson you should move your work over to Liara and EDI, sooner you three get everything sorted out the better."

"Aye aye Captain."

The purple eyed N7 brought the bucket back but then stopped. "By the way pleasure to meet the lot of you, doubt you want me going on some spiel about you being legends but truly we're honored even if we don't look the part." Ghost finished his crew nodding in agreement to what he said.

"I take it you know how the whole clone thing went down?" Shepard asked.

All of the Talons nodded but Ghost was the one to speak up. "Yeah, the old man briefed us on the basics to make sure we understood if you all told us to, in a few words, screw off. Though now that we've got introductions and all that other nonsense dealt with let's find out what he knows."

He brought the bucket back then brought it forward the momentum dumping out the entire bucket it of water onto the unconscious man. "Oi!" Ghost yelled as he swung the bucket back then smashed it into the radicals head. "Wake up you sorry bastard!"

_Well that's one way to wake someone up. Hope he doesn't do that to his crew when they're sleeping._ Knowing Ghost and his crew they probably did things like this all in the name of a strange sense of humor.

"Fuck. You." The radical grumbled sitting himself back up.

"Not very polite is he." Darian stated.

"Should I amend my own manners?" Ghost asked. His Turian second in command nodded, the purple eyed N7 then slammed his fist into the man's hand making him let out a grunt of pain. "I think we're on the same page. Now Shepard if you'd care to join me over here I would like to go over something with this poor poor man who decided it would be a good idea to hurt people we care about."

Shepard wasn't really sure what Ghost was doing but he definitely seemed to have some sort of plan going. _"Ghost really knows how to get information out of someone." _Kasumi had told her. If it was true then they'd surely work together on getting information out of him, this man thought he could outlast her and if he did he was poorly mistaken.

She walked over to his side her own crew spreading out amongst the kitchen and nearby areas to watch what was going on. Ghost crouched down next to the radical his purple eyes cutting through his hood and into the side of the man's head. "You're buddies killed and hurt a lot of people at the refugee camp, you also hurt a very dear friend of mine but more importantly you hurt her lover."

He nodded to Shepard. The redhead couldn't help but crack her knuckles and glare at the man. He was one of the people who hurt Kasumi and he deserved every ounce of her scorn. "I don't know who you're working for yet but I will find them and kill them."

Ghost patted his forearm standing back up to his full height, "You on the other hand have a choice. You see." He pointed to himself. "I'm a man who believes in second chances, I'm no stranger to crime. Hell I was a Blue Sun for years and killed people because they wore a different color armor then me but here I am today leader of these brave men and women and part of the Alliance."

His crew stood a little taller and prouder listening to their leader; it reminded her of seeing her own crew do the same thing during her speeches. What both Ghost and Shepard had in common other than being leaders and N7s was that their crew was more than a crew, they were a family.

A family they would protect with their lives if they had to.

"I personally don't know you or why you did what you did. Maybe you have a family and it was the only way to support them or maybe you were lost and needed a cause to believe in so you joined up with Cerberus or Terra Firma." The radical flinched at the second name and a smirk made its way to Ghost's lips. "So it is those bastards. Carson! Search for anything of relevance to Terra Firma!"

"Impressive human." Javik complimented.

The purple eyed N7 smirked at the compliment, he had barely done anything except talk enough and all he had picked up on was body language. Body language could be faked like someone could fake a yawn but this guy had slipped up.

Apparently he had never been trained to hide his body language in an interrogation. "I'm also a fan of multiple choice on a timer so I'll give you three choices for how this can go down and you get to pick one." Ghost finished.

"I love this part." Kar said amusement in his tone.

Shepard wasn't entirely sure what was going to happen but considering the Krogan of the group was excited she was expecting some violence soon. _Multiple choice on a timer?_ It sounded like some sort of game, sort of how Russian Roulette sounded like a game though both weren't meant to be played for fun.

"You can either A, tell us everything we want to know right here and now but be careful because if you give us false information, that we will check while you're here, we have to play pin the knife on the radical." The purple eyed N7 explained the first option.

If that was option A Shepard wasn't sure she wanted to know what the other two options were. Starting off by telling someone if you lied they would play "pin the knife on the radical" only meant the next choices were going to get worse.

"Oh! I call first if that's the case." Brad exclaimed.

The radical was trying to look defiant but Shepard noticed fear creeping into his eyes. He was at their mercy and he knew it, the likelihood he was walking away unscathed without taking option A using complete truth was unlikely.

"Not jumping at the chance for option A so I'll go over your other two options, for B you get to face me. We'll go over your chances of survival, how much pain an average human can take before they give in, which I'll have you know I wrote my dissertation on in college, and then see where you land on the scale." Ghost explained.

"Love you didn't go to college, you experimented on live mercenaries who had wronged you and found out that they would tell you anything once you cut off a hand even if it wasn't true." Tara reminded.

"I'm first if that's the case." Kar bellowed.

Fear continued to creep into the man's gaze. _I can't tell if they're serious or not but I guess that's the point. They're saying it like they've done this stuff before and have no problem with it. _It was then that Shepard remembered something Zaeed had once told her.

"_If you have a gun to your head chances are you're going to do what the other man says. The only ones who don't cave are trained killers and psychopaths, most people can't tell the difference."_

This guy had no idea whether or not Ghost was a psycho more than his buddies were or a trained killer. His crew jumping in made it seem more like psychopaths and for once Shepard thought that was a good thing. _We might not even have to get our hands dirty at this rate._

"Still not taking option A, I sincerely hope you don't expect C to be better 'cause it's not. If you chose C I take a walk and let Red here." He motioned to Shepard. "Know all the nasty things you said when you were stomping her dear lover."

Both Shepard's and the radicals eyes bulged, the redhead's eyes bulged in rage and the man's bulged in fear. Her imagination was already running on the things this man could have said while hurting Kasumi and all of them made her anger swell.

"Mind you I've taken away your cyanide pills and your ocular flashbang so screwed doesn't even cut it when it comes to your situation. And if that doesn't suit your fancy I'll give you an option D, D as in doom mind you. In option D I let the Prothean, who can make you squeal in ways unimaginable, destroy your mind in the most painful ways possible." Ghost said.

"Hmm, I'm beginning to like this "Ghost" human." Javik said.

Shepard ignored her Prothean teammate turning herself to Ghost her rage building as more and more thoughts poured into her mind. "What did he say?" She seethed.

He rested a hand on her shoulder, his eyes conveyed to her to remain calm for now because he was going to choose C anyways. "Now don't get ahead of me Shepard. He still gets a choice and with five seconds on the clock what's it going to be A, B, C, or D?" His crew began clicking their tongues imitating a timer until Ghost slammed his fist into the man's hand again. "C it is!" Ghost exclaimed in a happy tone.

"No! No! I'll tell you anything" The radical pleaded.

Ghost tsked the man wagging his finger as he did, "Ah ah that's the problem. You'll tell me _anything_. I don't want _anything_ I want specifics but I know you'll just lie anyways so Shepard." The purple eyed man looked over to her with a grin. "Did you know that butterballs here told his buddies that-"

"Elias Kelham!" The radical shouted in fear.

For a moment the room was quiet as the name sunk into all of the members of her squad who had been around during the Suicide Mission. _Kelham._ Shepard remembered his name still, she remembered interrogating him to try to find who he had hired Kolyat to kill.

She also remembered threatening to cut his balls off and sell them to a Krogan.

"Don't know what that name means but I do remember you saying that you should all rape Kasumi just to send Shepard a message." Ghost finished anyways.

Gasps escaped everyone in the kitchen and for Shepard time stopped around her. The word rape echoed around her head as images of her bruised lover flashed in her mind.

They had physically hurt Kasumi and that had been enough to make her want to kill them, saying that they should rape her thief made her want to strangle the life out each of them so she could feel their pulses fade away.

Her eyes locked onto the fearful radical, her biotic's began to swirl around her at the mere sight of this disgusting pig in front of her.

"After you Shepard." Ghost motioned for her to approach him.

She strode forward quickly her hand gripping the man's balls firmly making him whimper in pain. "How about I pop those balls you're so proud of?" Shepard squeezed them harder. "I would sell them to a Krogan but they no longer need them and you clearly should have had them cut off long ago." The redhead whispered her deadly tone striking even more fear into this so called man.

Critical whistles came from most of Ghost's crew. Their leader found his way to her side as she used her biotic's to pressure the man's testicles. The only thing keeping her from popping them or ripping them off was the thought of Kasumi being disappointed in her for doing it, that and she didn't want him to pass out. "Elias Kelham what?" Ghost prodded.

"He was the one I was told to rat out if I was caught the same as the others. He supplied the equipment, the bombs, the location of your squadmate and the jammers. We didn't want anything tied back to us." The radical struggled to explain.

"Terra Firma you mean." Ghost said thoughtfully piecing together the puzzle. "Why that specific refugee camp and Kasumi?"

The man didn't answer right away so Shepard pressured him a little more. "Fuck! She's her lover that's why! Kelham wanted to get back at her for the shit she did in the interrogation. The camp was nothing but trying to make sure we weren't caught."

Shepard tensed up at his explanation to why Kasumi was the first target. Had it just been the simple association with her it wouldn't have been so bad but this was because of_ her_ actions. Instead of pulling her Spectre rank she had played bad cop and now her thief was paying for it. "He is lying about the camp, poorly I might add." Liara said as she, Carson, EDI and Glyph walked back into the kitchen.

"Fuck you."

Ghost rested his hand on Shepard's arm making her look up to him; he gave her a sympathetic look. A look that resembled the same one Kasumi would give her in this situation. "You can release his balls now. I don't think either of us want to clean up that mess."

_"Let him go Shep, he won't be able to do anything now." _The voice of Kasumi echoed as he spoke.

_Fine, you win this time Kasumi. _She should have blown them up with her biotic's but she relinquished her grip listening to both Kasumi and Ghost. "Do we need him?" Ghost asked to Liara.

The Shadow Broker smiled. "No. Thanks to his slip up on Terra Firma and Elias Kelham we were able to get all the information we needed."

"Alright, Kar, Gallick you two knock him out and get him prepped to be given to C-Sec. Normally I would say send him to a Batarian prison for the shit he did but seeing as finding one in the Sol system is impossible C-Sec will do."

Kar punched the man in the temple knocking him out in one punch then together with Gallick they dragged his chair out of the kitchen. "You good Shepard?" Garrus asked caringly.

No she wasn't, she wanted to hold Kasumi and tell her how sorry she was for this being her fault. She wanted to hear her voice sooth her telling her it really wasn't her fault, she wanted to be stubborn until Kasumi kissed her reassuring her that she didn't blame her, but that wasn't possible right now.

Right now Commander Shepard was needed to kick some ass and she would rise to the occasion. "Yeah. What have we got?"

Her crew didn't look at all convinced but they nodded, for now they would leave it be. "Does the name Charles Saracino ring a bell?" Liara asked.

There was a collective remembrance shared between all the SR-1 Normandy members. _Kelham and Saracino?_ "You have got to be kidding me." Kaiden said in shock.

He stole the words right out of her mouth, two ghosts of her past coming to bite her in the ass. "Who are Elias Kelham and Charles Saracino?" Darian asked.

"Saracino is the head of the Terra Firma party. I met him on the Citadel when they impounded the Normandy years ago, right after we lost Ash." Shepard said with a shake of her head.

_Terra Firma is just Cerberus by another name._

"Kelham on the other hand is a criminal who once hired the son of our friend Thane to kill Joram Talid, a Turian politician who was running as openly anti-human. I threatened to cut his balls of and sell them to a Krogan to get him to tell us who he wanted dead."

"I thought Bailey had Kelham locked up." Tali said thoughtfully.

As did Shepard, how he got his hands on so many explosives without anyone noticing was strange and worrying. He shouldn't have had any access to resources inside a cell, unless Saracino had some hand in it.

"Okay so we've got the head of Terra Firma and a criminal working together to attack Kasumi and a refugee camp. Why?" Shepard asked to Liara, Carson and EDI.

"First off let's move this conversation to the big room out there, it's cramped in here and I've got to clean up the mess I made." Ghost said motioning to the puddle they were both stepping in.

Yes the room did feel a bit cramped now. Ghosts of the past had a way of filling up a room rather quickly, definitely when those ghosts had attacked people to get at you for what you did to them.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Third Strike

_"Shep?" Kasumi's voice and the feel of her hands running across the N7s body until they reached her stomach brought Shepard from her thoughts to the woman who was standing behind her giving her a worried stare. _

_They had finished their shower and extracurricular activities almost twenty minutes ago, from there the two had begun to get dressed and ready to go down and eat the breakfast James was surely slaving away at making. Shepard had found herself in a bit of a lull at the moment though it was unfortunately not due to their great love making._

_Shepard wanted to let her mind wander to those thoughts, she wanted to watch her lover as she got ready and talk to her, she wanted to see her smile and laugh but something felt wrong. _

_Her gut feeling was sending off alarms through her like something bad was going to happen, the thoughts distracted her from what she really wanted to be thinking about and the person she wanted to be spending her time with right now._

_As always though the thief had come to her minds rescue taking away the thoughts that pestered her mind. The redhead felt her nerves ease in the embrace, Kasumi's bare hands ran across her clothed stomach but her touch made it through being just as tantalizing as always. _

_Both of them were in their casual clothes and Kasumi still had her hood down though her hair was back in its ponytail now. Although Shepard preferred the thief's hair down and free so she could run her hands into it, the way it was ponytailed back only made her face more prominent making her appear ever the more beautiful._

_The redhead allowed herself to lean back into her lover's body turning her head to kiss her on the cheek. "You're beautiful." Shepard said tenderly._

"_Ana." The thief's tone was chastising for the obvious change of subject. It wasn't that she was saying it in a jest, the redhead was truly floored at her beauty and wished to let her know how amazingly gorgeous she was every day. She also didn't want to worry her with what was probably nothing more than a passing worry._

_Judging on the serious look Kasumi was giving her she wasn't going to be getting out of this one. "You know you can talk to me Ana. You're always there to reassure me from any worry, you've given me the strength and ability to believe no matter how hopeless a situation seemed." The thief gently guided Shepard to turn around so they could look one another in the eyes. "Let me be your strength."_

_Kasumi brought her hand to the redhead's cheek allowing her fingers to brush across it with a gentle touch only she was capable of sending a shiver across her body. She guided strands of Shepard's red locks behind her ear then cupped her cheek. The thief knew her too well allowing her the ability to see straight through a lie and to be honest the N7 was tired of giving the usual "I'll be fine" lie._

_She had already promised herself to never lie to Kasumi when it came to how she was faring mentally and emotionally. During the war the commander had had a few moments with her friends where she could no longer tell them she was fine but other than those times she forced herself to remain strong._

_Commander Shepard couldn't have an emotional breakdown; she was too busy cleaning up age old problems between every race, fighting against Cerberus all the while trying to stop the Reapers. Lying to herself and her friends about how she was faring had taken its toll, finally waking up in the hospital after it was all done allowed her to take that toll into account._

_Repeating the cycle of hiding her emotions until she nearly hit her breaking point wouldn't do anything good. It would be detrimental to her health and the redhead had no intentions of losing Kasumi because she was too stupidly stubborn to speak her feelings._

"_I feel like something bad is about to happen and I don't know what." Shepard explained._

"_A seasoned war veteran's gut feeling?" Kasumi asked a slight tease to her tone. Shepard smiled softly at the attempt to make her feel a bit better. It was enough to make her smile so that was enough in Shepard's eyes. The redhead wrapped her arms around her thief's neck embracing her gaining comfort in having her there. "Everything will be fine Ana. We aren't going anywhere and I certainly won't be going anywhere" She reassured._

_They stood there for a few moments holding one another in silence. "Well unless there's a Reaper then I call shotgun on the Normandy." Kasumi added on at the last second._

_A laugh bubbled out of Shepard, hearing her lover reassure that even if a Reaper showed up that she would jump back on the Normandy alongside her was deeply satisfying and comforting. "I don't know what I'd do without you Kasumi." Shepard shook her head in the embrace feeling tears forming in her eyes. "I don't want to know a life without you."_

"_As long as you don't go to a place beyond this life without my permission I will fight to make sure you never have to." Kasumi responded kissing the crook of her neck. "By the way, you will never have my permission to do that so keep that in mind the next time you try some hero business."_

_Another laugh made its way out of Shepard as a tear escaped her. "You better keep your end of the bargain then." To her surprise Kasumi undid their embrace then lifted her up onto the bathroom countertop. The thief moved between her legs wiping away the tear before allowing their lips to meet sealing the deal to never leave one another to find out what life was without having the other after falling in love._

_ They parted slowly from one another wearing smiles. "Watashi wa anata no mono." Kasumi said softly._

_ "What does that mean?" Shepard asked smiling more hearing the foreign language come from her lover. It was strange her translator hadn't picked up on it but knowing Kasumi that was probably intentional, either way she enjoyed how the words sounded coming from the thief, then again she loved hearing her voice so maybe she was biased._

_ Kasumi smiled as she rested her forehead on Shepard's. "I mean I'm yours. Literal translation is a bit different."_

_ "How do you say that?" Shepard asked._

_ "Watashi wa." Kasumi started._

_ "Watashi wa."_

_ "Anata no mono."_

_ "Anata no mono." Shepard repeated._

_ The thief nodded. "Right now combine them together."_

_ "Watashi wa anata no mono." _

_Kasumi smiled a blissful smile then kissed her on the lips. Shepard lost herself in the kiss bringing her hands to her lovers face deepening the kiss. Shepard didn't want her to leave yet and by the way the thief pressed her body against her own she didn't want to either._

_Her sweet lips parted giving the N7s tongue access as Kasumi ran her hands up her thighs and under her shirt to her stomach. Shepard loved the feel of her hands exploring her body, the way she traced the pads of her fingers so tenderly making her get goosebumps and send pleasurable shivers across her body._

_Kasumi parted from the kiss to start kissing down her neck letting them glide down slowly between kisses. Shepard felt the yearning to forget about all the troubles the galaxy currently faced to embrace the desires that were steadily overcoming her rational mind._

_No one had ever made her feel this strange eagerness welling up inside of her just through touching and kissing her. No one had been Kasumi though. Her touch managed to show a passion that the redhead had never felt before, her kisses never lacked passion but coupled with her touch the passion became amplified._

_Shepard undid Kasumi's ponytail putting the hair tie on her wrist before running her fingers into her hair. Her warm lips caressed across the redheads collarbone to the center of her chest as her hands guided their way up slowly taking their time traveling across every muscle and scar as if she was reading braille._

_They finally reached the N7s bra covered breasts but not even the piece of clothing between the thief's hands and her breasts could take away from her tantalizing touch, and no amount of clothing got in the way of Kasumi once her hands met them._

_Before Shepard knew it her bra was unclasped and her lover was helping her pull her tank top back over her head discarding both pieces of clothing to the floor. Kasumi didn't give her much time to recover her hands cupping both breasts as she moved back in kissing her cheek, lips, neck, chest._

_A sound of delight escaped Shepard as Kasumi's wondrous lips captured one of her nipples. She was sparking up the embers left behind from their time in the shower starting to cause a giant bonfire to light up within the redhead._

_After attending to her other nipple her lover allowed her hands to slide down her sides sending another wave of shivers across her body following the waves that had just crashed against the shore thanks to her magic working mouth._

_Kasumi engaged Shepard in a short kiss but instead of allowing the N7 to allow her passion to continue to overcome her she backed away grabbing her hands and tugging them back with her. _

_A smile was plastered on the thief's face as it was on Shepard's, she allowed herself to be tugged off the countertop and back into the bedroom to the bed where Kasumi stopped and promptly continued where she had left off._

_The commander allowed herself to be eased onto her back as she was engaged in passionate kiss by Kasumi. In the midst of their kiss the thief stopped making Shepard look to her in worried questioning hoping she wasn't about to stop. She was met by a warm smile as the thief cupped her cheek. "I love you Ana."_

_Shepard found her heart swelling to drastic proportions hearing her loving voice laced with desire. It was driving her crazy now, she needed to feel her warm skin on her own. She needed to show her how much those words meant to her and how she felt again. "You are my world Kasumi." She responded her own voice laced with a large amount of desire and love._

"_And you are mine."_

* * *

Shepard stared out her big picture window as she leaned most of her weight onto the forearm she had resting against the window. _You better keep your end of the bargain Kasumi, being without you for a few hours is driving me crazy. I don't want to know how bad it is for days or longer. _With time to think the N7 found her thoughts trailing to one of the final conversations she had had with her lover. She missed her presence more and more as time went on filling the commander with more regret over the current situation.

The remaining members of the Talons and her own crew bustled about behind her as they attempted to figure out how they were going to take down Kelham and Saracino. Right now Shepard was mostly getting in the way so she decided to remove herself from the feet traffic, she knew tech but EDI, Ghost, Carson and Liara were proving to the N7 how much better they were at it than she was.

Her patience wasn't near an optimal level where she would be useful to them, as unfortunate as it was to say it Shepard knew she would be more of a hindrance than help now.

All that remained of Ghost's squad were Tara, Darian, Carson and Ghost himself. Putting together how things had gone so far it felt best to send extra guns to Samara, Zaeed, Jacob and Wrex in case Terra Firma attacked one of them.

Calling them back didn't seem like a good idea, all of the Talons and all of the Normandy squad in one room was asking for someone to attack them here where they had couches for cover. Not to mention the lack of firepower the Normandy squad had on them right now though that was being amended at the moment.

_Good thing for the small armory I have here._

The weapons bench that came with the apartment was nice but Shepard was a woman of caution. "_Or paranoia depending on how you look at it." _Kasumi's voice teased her. A ghost of a smile formed on the redheads face for a brief moment before leaving her.

Having accessible heavy firepower in a room only accessible by her was a needed addition considering she had to fight a clone of herself with her own private mercenaries. The redhead wasn't going to get caught off guard at home like she did at the sushi restaurant.

None of her crew would let her forget about falling through the fish tank, getting attacked at home and having no firepower would just be more ammunition for their banter cannons.

Being ambushed at a restaurant and then finding out that she had invited one of the people who was trying to kill her into her apartment made her realize how much more security this place needed.

Thankfully Kasumi, Garrus and Zaeed had all of the same thought patterns and had helped the N7 to acquire not only the guns her crew used but better security measures. Well they had until the Reaper occupation. Most of their security measures had been destroyed so they were down in that department but they still had lots of firepower.

They had to take their victories where they could.

_Only thing missing is my armor._ Shepard let out a sigh, thankfully she had a shield and Tech Armor plus her biotic's yet the redhead felt a bit bare without her armor on. _"But I like you bare."_ The teasing voice of Kasumi played through her mind again making her smile slightly.

Even if Kasumi wasn't here physically she was in Shepard's thoughts constantly the same as she had been during the war. Her thoughts strayed from their last conversation to quips the redhead knew her lover might say or imagining what she would be doing during this time they were waiting to figure out what the next step was.

Knowing her lover she would be at her side now trying to cheer her up. Shepard tried to think of something Kasumi would say about the way things had gone smiling the moment she found it.

"_You know, for someone who would have blown himself had Ghost's guys not caught him he really didn't last that long the moment Ghost said he would give you free reign. They don't make radical extremist like they used to, not that I'm complaining of course. You're cute when you're angry."_

It was true; the man had a healthy fear of Shepard the moment Ghost offered to tell her what had been said during their beat down. Then again the redhead couldn't blame the man for trying to tell them about Kelham before Ghost could finish.

It was not an everyday occurrence one faced down the rage of Commander Shepard while tied to a chair surrounded by two squads who were in no way going to help you. For all he knew he was going to be there for days or weeks as each one of them had a go at breaking him.

Then there was Ghost and his guys who seemed they would get a sick enjoyment out of it, pin the knife on the radical, cutting off someone's hand and referring it to as your _college dissertation_ only to be corrected and told that you had tried it on live mercenaries.

Making yourself appear crazier than the man who probably had thought they would be bound to some sort of Alliance rules had brought him close to his breaking point. In the end the man had lost the battle the moment Ghost had got into his head.

How the purple eyed N7 had done it so quickly was a mystery but one Shepard didn't care to figure out. They had gotten information out of him that helped to figure out who was behind the attacks, they were now faced with what Ghost had so accurately called a political shitstorm but they had a better idea of what was going on.

It was a start of some sort.

Saracino wasn't by any means protected from blowing up a refugee camp but he had really worked hard to leave no traces back to him. This brought them to how Kelham got involved, the man had escaped lock up during the Reaper occupation and he still had a grudge over the interrogation the redhead had given him.

He didn't care about the fact she had stopped the galaxy from being destroyed by the Reapers, he just wanted to make her pay. _"A simple minded idiot," _in the words of Garrus. It was an accurate description, it didn't change the fact he wasn't above supplying a man with explosives to be used on a refugee camp all for the price of killing or handicapping Kasumi.

A price he was going to regret asking for.

Kelham was hiding though and C-Sec was too thinly spread to try to catch him right now. Recovery efforts, trying to get security systems back to fully optimal levels, catching higher profiled criminals had C-Sec way too busy to catch some guy who had yet to do anything since he escaped.

Maybe they hoped he would remain quiet until they got everything back in order, maybe they hoped being locked up had made him turn a new leaf. Shepard didn't blame them for hoping any of those things nor did she blame them for the current situation.

C-Sec was doing the best they could after suffering losses during the occupation and having the Citadel in shambles. She didn't mind having to handle Kelham themselves; in fact the N7 was looking forward to finding him so she could knock his lights out and turn him over to C-Sec.

Carson and EDI were working together to find him at the moment which left Liara, Ghost and Glyph to figure out the Saracino problems they were facing. First of the problems was trying to find a way to prove he had been the one to get the bombs from Kelham for this specific job.

Pinning Kelham wasn't a problem at all; in fact it was really surprising he had agreed to this considering he was the one who was facing all the blowback. His name was practically written all over everything and Terra Firma had no connection whatsoever exception of the…_testimony_ of one of their members.

It wasn't enough to get Saracino behind bars for a very long time and to cut the head off the snake. Sure two Spectres and a squad of N7's could say he had given up the information but in court the type of interrogation they had given was not going to stand up very well.

Trying to use their interrogation as proof would be like trying to use her vision from the Prothean beacon to incriminate Saren, which was to say it wouldn't work at all. Regardless of her standing in the galaxy as a hero politicians had a way of muddling everything.

Saracino would employ the best lawyer he could hire and then he'd get away leaving all of their reputations with a black mark for trying to incriminate an "_innocent_" man. This also brought them to the fact he was right now the leader of Terra Firma, a political party for humans.

Earth had been decimated by Reapers and even though they weren't the only planet to suffer by the hands, or tentacles, of the Reapers Shepard knew Terra Firma was in the current mindset of being the political strength of humanity.

A new Councilor had yet to be appointed though if she had to make another recommendation Shepard planned to pick Dominic Osoba the current living human Ambassador. Anderson was retiring and Hackett wasn't looking to be a Councilor but he did need someone they could rely on and the Ambassador was a good choice. He wasn't a stranger to the losses the war caused, then again no one truly was but he didn't have any questionable loyalties.

The Ambassador also wouldn't be swayed by anyone like Cerberus or Terra Firma considering his son had sacrificed himself in a fight against Cerberus to save his comrades.

Terra Firma was wrong if they thought they were the only political strength for humanity left and if they did then they were growing to resemble Cerberus. The unfortunate part of this was that though they weren't the only political strength left by taking down their leader the group would no doublty jump on their case for weakening humanity.

The mere thought of the similar arguments to what the Illusive Man had said made the commander want to stop them more. Right now the last thing the galaxy needed was another Cerberus or a place for former Cerberus members to hide.

Problem was politics weren't that simple. If they went barging in taking Saracino down they'd be smeared so quickly that all the good they did would be forgotten in seconds, or at least that was the fear.

Connecting Saracino wasn't even the final part of the puzzle. If they were really going to get him and his party taken down to stop another Cerberus from coming into power and prevent them from coming after any of them ever again they were going to have to turn the galaxy, humanity included, against them.

Considering most aliens considered them similar to Cerberus the only real problem was getting the rest of humanity on board. Making claims that they were Cerberus by another name would do little to help their chances.

Throwing rocks at a glass house shattered the glass and got you arrested for vandalism. In this case they'd be war veterans suffering from some sort of prejudice to anyone who claimed to be looking out for humanity's best interests. Or another thing that could be said would be they didn't believe in humanity was strong enough to stand on their own.

Yeah political shitstorm didn't feel adequate to describe this situation.

No matter how Shepard looked at it she couldn't see a way to bring Saracino in. He couldn't be allowed to get away with what he had done yet the man had appeared to have outplayed them completely.

He had taken out his political competition in the bombing along with the one person who was investigating him for connections to Cerberus. Everyone would cry Cerberus and he would remain in power, no one would suspect him and Kelham would take the fall for sure.

Shepard wasn't ready to sit down and give up; she wouldn't allow Saracino or Kelham get away with the crimes they committed. For the sake of Kasumi and those who had lost their lives due to the bombing and those who were fighting for their lives now Shepard would not let them get away.

Thanks to the quick thinking of Miranda and Liara they had come up with a solution for part of the problem. If they brought Diana Allers in they could use her as an investigative reporter using any and all information they gained.

Allers was a reporter who had been on the Normandy during the war but despite her connection to Shepard and her crew she had remained neutral in all her reports. Her neutrality and truthful nature when telling the galaxy exactly how things had happened gave her credibility.

Credibility would dismiss anyone who would question if she had done it out of loyalty to the Normandy or a debt making them look like they were trying to hide something.

Unfortunately that meant the N7 was going to have to do an interview.

_At least we'll be able to take down Saracino though, I'll stomach through an interview for the chance to take him down._ _For the chance to stop this from ever happening again I'd suffer through having to send reports back to the Council after missions._

James was out collecting Allers at the moment while Kaiden had been sent to stand guard over Kasumi with Valera. They wanted to ensure Valera wouldn't be overtaken by too many people in case Terra Firma got gutsy enough to attack Huerta directly.

All that was left to figure out was where Kelham was hiding, where Saracino was and proving without a doubt he and Terra Firma were behind these attacks. Another bonus would be weeding out any Cerberus member hiding in their organization but that was more of a side note compared to the other objectives they had.

Apprehending them was another thing to figure out though that one wasn't as important considering they had yet to connect Saracino. Granted having the Shadow Broker on the job of connecting him into this guaranteed it would happen, it was just how long and how many more attacks would happen before it.

How many others would end up like the refugee camp or Kasumi until they were able to finally act? How many lives were Terra Firma willing to ruin so they could regain lost power and momentum thanks to the rest of the galaxy coming together and everyone having an understanding that more was achieved together than separate?

The answer was they were willing to do anything. Means justified the ends because they had some ridiculous belief that no longer fit into the puzzle board of the galaxy. A puzzle board in which every piece had finally come together to create a magnificent picture and Terra Firma would rather destroy the board like a child instead of admit defeat.

"And I thought Ghost could get a faraway look in his eyes when he was deep in thought." Tara said. Shepard broke out of her thoughts seeing the dark blue Asari standing next to her a teasing smile on her face. The Asari tapped her forehead between her eyebrows with her index and middle finger. "You know if you furrow your brow like that too long it'll get stuck that way."

Shepard couldn't help but smile at her comment; it reminded her of something Kasumi would to get her to smile if she was here. "If the war couldn't keep my furrowed brow stuck I'm sure this won't." The redhead responded with humor in her tone.

The war had left her having many days of furrowing her brow trying to solve problems between alien races or dealing with the aftermath of Cerberus a few steps ahead of them. This was certainly frustrating and stressful but there wasn't much that could be compared to the stress she had felt during the war.

"I suppose you're right, you're friend James is almost back." Shepard nodded, that was good. Once he and Allers got here everything would start to move a bit faster. They would finally be able to start making their own moves to strike back at the people who had done this. "I also spoke to Grissom. Kasumi hasn't regained consciousness yet but he and Doctor Chakwas are rather optimistic about her recovery, they don't see any brain damage, thank the Goddess, and her condition continues to improve as they work."

A smile tugged at Shepard's lips, _I knew she would fight._ Kasumi wasn't giving up in the slightest just as expected though expecting it and hearing it were two different feelings. Originally it was a hope while her heart was being torn apart by the possibility of the terrible things that could happen.

Now her heart was swelled by hope and happiness, the redhead knew now that Kasumi truly wasn't going to be taken from her and when she woke up she'd still be her. Her thief wouldn't forget her face or the love they had shared since the commander herself had woken up.

She would keep her promise just as Shepard would keep hers.

All that was left now was for her to recover completely while Shepard made sure the people who had caused her harm had to eat their food through a straw for a few months.

"Thank you." Shepard said feeling a bit better than she had before.

Tara gave her a smile back. "No need to thank me, I'm the happy messenger in this situation. Didn't like seeing you beat yourself up over something you had no control of, you and Ghost share that similarity." The Asari replied.

"You pass on good news to cheer him up? Do you have to knock one of your crew out and tell him they're going to be okay?" The commander asked teasing the Asari.

She gave a laugh before shaking her head. "Oh no, when he gets like this I usually just bring him to a bed and make tender love to him to cheer him up."

That was either an attempt at a joke or the truth. Which it was the commander did not know and really didn't want to ask to find out so she decided it was best to continue the banter. "I doubt Ghost or Kasumi would approve of that if you tried it to cheer me up." Shepard attempted to joke back.

"What they don't know won't hurt them." Tara winked at her and a blush began to form on Shepard's face as she turned to look back out the window. A hysterical laugh made its way out of the dark blue Asari; she slugged the commander's shoulder softly. "You should see the look on your face, oh Goddess that was a good one."

_Of course she was joking to get me to blush._ Shepard couldn't believe how badly she fell for the joke, her blush was thankfully fading away but she had to hand it to the Asari, she had gotten her good on that one. She could make herself appear very serious and the flirty wink and final comment had been the real shocker at the end. _Kasumi would have gotten a kick out of that._

"Good one." Shepard congratulated.

"I try. You made it too easy by setting me up for the making tender love comment." The N7 nodded a small smirk on her face. _To think I have battles with Kasumi and I wasn't able to see that one coming, _Shepard mused. "Sorry if I made you uncomfortable, honestly I would never cheat on Ghost and I know you would never cheat on Kasumi. I love Ghost too much to hurt him and I know you feel the same about Kasumi. Making you blush and get your mind off your thoughts was my only goal." Tara explained.

It was a nice distraction actually despite Shepard getting caught off guard by her flirts. "Your secret weapon." Shepard asked a smirk on her face.

Tara smiled back. "Maybe. But your mood has improved so I'd say it worked this time. Can't make jokes like that on the guys anymore; they stopped taking the bait after six years." That made Shepard laugh, "I know, six years they fell for it. I couldn't believe their gullibility either but I miss it so much now. You should have seen how flustered I could get Darian and Whitney." The Asari continued.

Shepard could imagine how flustered based on how she had gotten her and how she got her own friends flustered now and then. James could flirt mercilessly but once she found out he couldn't take it himself the redhead used it to her advantage.

Vega had once told her she would have to try harder to get him to blush though that no longer rang true once he made it known being flirted with made him bashful. Needless to say Shepard had made him blush a lot more than he had thought was possible.

Jack and Miranda were her most recent targets all in the name of fun of course though she was going to have to start changing it up so they didn't grow immune to it. Making the pair uncomfortable was fun, not as fun as making Kasumi blush now but there was a bit of bias to that.

"I guess I'm glad I could provide you with the entertainment of falling for your jokes." Shepard replied. The Asari nodded a smile gracing her face. She had a nice smile and was very pretty by all standards, one thing that confused the commander though was how she ended up in the Blue Suns.

Never once had she met a Blue Sun Asari or a Drell and Krogan for that matter. This was a chance to find out a little more about the woman who was in a loving relationship with her leader. "How did you and Ghost even meet up anyways?" Tara allowed her gaze to leave the view of the window to meet Shepard's. "In my time fighting Blue Suns I don't recall seeing Krogan's, Drell's or Asari among them."

She gave a small nod of acknowledgment to her question understanding the confusion the N7 showed in her tone. "Ghost and Darian started as Blue Suns, the rest of us joined their crew when each of us met with them. They didn't care about race and didn't listen to the Suns rules anyways; they were always the outcasts of the group so they did things their own way." Tara explained.

Considering the man had purple eyes and his second in command was a Turian biotic who weren't exactly looked at in high approval in their society Shepard wasn't entirely surprised. How Ghost had purple eyes was a mystery, as far as Kasumi knew he didn't wear contacts so she assumed some sort of genetic mutation or genetic tailoring similar to Miranda's.

As for Turian biotic's in their military they were usually separated into squads of other biotic's called Cabal units. Those in the group were all tight-knit thanks to how they were regarded, as far as Shepard was concerned with the two Turian biotic's she had met, Nyreen and Darian, they were just people.

_Seems Turian's and humans have something in common when it comes to ridiculing their biotic's. _"The longer we worked together the closer we all grew to one another; each of us burned our Blue Sun tattoos long before we left, except Ghost."

Shepard raised her eyebrows in surprise only to see a thoughtful cross Tara's face. "Our loyalty had always been to him not the mercenary group, before that though my sister and I were adrift. Kicked out of the Asari Military over a decision we made left us with no work and outcasts to our own people. Each of us are outcasts of our own people actually." The Asari said thoughtfully.

This was new information that Shepard had never heard. Part of her wanted to ask for specifics on how each of them were outcasts but chose not to invade the privacy of every member. Instead she decided she would only ask more about the Asari herself. "What decision did you make?" She asked.

The Asari let out a sigh. "I was the leader of a squad of four, myself included. My sister and another of our squad were Huntresses, masters of long range and hit and run tactics. I was called a Valkyrie, a Sentinel like you just not as good looking."

Shepard smirked at the comment; she wasn't going to get her that easily. Kasumi would never her live it down if she allowed herself to blush more than once when she was not around. "Damn it you're already immune. The other was a Vanguard, we were meant to hit this facility hard and fast but naturally things weren't what they seemed."

Tara let out another sigh; the memories of this mission obviously still bothered her. Shepard wasn't surprised; every seasoned soldier had a mission like that. "We attacked the building killing everyone before they were aware of our presence, found out the facility was really a place to build chemical weapons. We thought we were going to be ordered to destroy it but instead out superiors wanted to take it as their own."

"We deliberated on what to do after cutting comms, looking at the place made me sick so I voted we set charges and go. My sister agreed…but the other two didn't. Arguments got heated until the two pulled guns on us…"

Tara shook her head clearly remembering the events as if they had only unfolded days ago. The commander knew how this story had ended taking into account Tara and her sister were alive. She put a reassuring hand on the Asari's shoulder who gave her a thanking smile. "After my sister and I set the charges we left only managing to barely escape to Omega. Met Ghost and joined on, he gave us work, shelter and dependable friends." Tara finished.

"I'm sorry." Shepard apologized. Never had she personally gunned down a friend because they didn't agree. Kaiden had been the closest to almost forcing her to have no other option, granted she never would have shot him but the redhead couldn't say the same for her team at the time.

Javik and Garrus wouldn't have stood for him shooting at her, especially Javik.

The Asari waved off her apology. "My sister and I made our choice. Sure things turned out bad but they would have gunned us down had we not defended ourselves and had we not done that who knows what atrocity would have been committed using those weapons. Besides look at me now, I'm a part of the first cross species N7 team, deeply in love, and working alongside the hero of the galaxy. I'd say things worked out in the end."

"Do you ever miss it? The military I mean." Shepard asked.

In her time away from the Alliance during the Suicide Mission one thing she had missed was the Alliance, it had been her life once she joined and to be gone from it was strange. She knew it wasn't the same for others, military life really wasn't for everyone.

Tara shook her head. "No. Maybe at first but…" She looked in the reflection at Ghost who was speaking to Darian a smile forming on her face as she watched them. "I wouldn't change meeting them for anything, neither would Val." The Asari turned to her clearly searching to point some questions her way. "What about you? Would you change using Cerberus to stop the Collectors if you could?"

Shepard saw the Asari's eyes flick over to Jack who was joking with Grunt then to Miranda who was sitting across from Liara her omni-tool open as she worked. Shepard then thought of all the others from the Suicide Mission that hadn't been around during her first tour on the Normandy.

At first they had all started out as strangers only to come together as friends in the end. The redhead could recall every conversation she had with them from when they first started to their initial goodbyes when she had turned herself into the Alliance.

Each of them had found a place in her heart and one in particular had stolen it. Would she change using Cerberus if it meant them never being a part of her life? "No. No I wouldn't."

There wasn't a doubt in her mind; she'd never trade meeting all of her friends or falling for her thief for anything. She would work with Cerberus to stop the Collectors again if it meant meeting them. "Even if meant going through all the hell again. Having the privilege to know them is worth any pain."

"Even if it meant losing your four friends again?" Tara asked.

The N7 nodded. Losing Ashley, Thane, Legion and Mordin left an ache in her heart that would never heal but knowing them for the time she did was worth all the pain she felt.

If she had ever been sent back in time and there was a way to stop them from dying without causing others to die then she would definitely change it if she could. Otherwise Shepard knew they would never forgive her if she sacrificed thousands of lives for the selfish wish to not see them die. "Yes. If I could stop them from dying without it costing me a larger amount of friends or thousands of lives I would but if there was no way I would go through all the pain it caused again. They're my family."

Tara gave her a smile. "That right there is why I don't regret leaving the Asari Military or living the life I have Commander. The bonds I formed with them mean everything to me."

It was a feeling Shepard understood. Bonds like the ones they had formed with their respective comrades were hard to find and even harder to let go of.

The pair fell into a comfortable silence and for the first time since hearing Kasumi was in critical condition the redhead felt her nerves ease ever so slightly. Maybe it was knowing Kasumi was pulling through or the simple conversation with Tara that helped to ease the tension she had felt. The Asari had definitely helped take her mind off the current situation and for that Shepard was grateful.

Falling into her own worrying thoughts was an easy task though it was not one that was all too good for her state of mind for obvious reasons. The N7 knew worrying about things not in her control at the moment was useless but she couldn't help it. When her crew or innocent lives were in danger she needed to get out there and stop the people doing it.

Being forced to sit and wait while they tried to find a way to do this with finesse instead of the bust through the front door way made her restless.

Soon after James and Diana showed up, Shepard left Tara at the window to go greet the reporter who had spent her time on the Normandy during the war. While the commander was no fan of reporters usually she made the exception to Allers who had turned into a valued ally at first and then a friend.

She had her quirks but then who in her group of friends didn't?

"Commander it's been awhile, still not taking a break from the hero business are you?" Diana greeted.

Shepard gave her a small smirk before giving her a handshake. "I was enjoying my break but it seems trouble enjoys picking on me." She replied humorously.

"James gave me a brief on the situation. Lucky for you I was already beginning to research the attack on the refugee camp." Shepard motioned Diana to follow her as they walked to the others. "The politician who was killed was working really hard on keeping up with what you were doing by working towards more alien and human cooperation and helping the Alliance pick out anyone who had Cerberus ties." Diana said.

"Really?"

The reporter nodded. "Yes. Saracino has been under scrutiny for some time now but nothing he's been accused of has ever stuck. Best case scenario before was getting him on tax evasion to get him off the streets, unfortunately he pays his taxes." Diana explained.

"And arresting him based on what we know will end up with him going free." Shepard finished for her.

_He's smart, I'll give him that much, _Shepard thought. He had really thought about all the angles to keep him protected legally not giving much for anyone to arrest him with. "Right. The good news is I managed to pick up some of the trail his target left behind. With a little more information and proper wording he can kiss his political career goodbye and say hello to a time in prison." Allers said.

"It almost sounds too easy." The N7 couldn't help but feel like something bad was going to happen again. Sure actually putting this all together wasn't going to be truly easy yet there seemed to be a distinct lack of shootouts and explosions that this kind of thing usually came with.

"I wouldn't say easy but it's definitely not taking on a Reaper head on." Allers said.

"Maybe I've just had too many hard fights. Talk to Liara, Ghost and EDI, they should have the information needed." Shepard stopped herself from walking at the sound of a shuttle flying close to her apartment.

The noise itself wouldn't have been abnormal if it had been anywhere outside of the apartment, skycars and shuttles were everywhere but the sound never penetrated into her apartment. If it had then the redhead was sure she would have moved out a long time ago.

Shepard looked over to the large windows to see a shuttle suddenly rise into view. "Oh shit." Jack cursed. The shuttle door opened revealing a group of armed men wearing unmarked armor.

"Tara move!" Ghost shouted as he pulled out his M-11.

Shepard grabbed Diana ducking her down and moving her into the kitchen as Tara put her hand out forming a sphere of biotic's around her to protect her from the gunfire that erupted into the apartment. "You just had to say it didn't you Shepard?" Miranda questioned from her cover.

There wasn't much to take cover behind in the apartment leaving everyone to use the furniture, the divider wall between the bar in the living room, the kitchen, and anywhere else they could find a semblance of cover.

"Ah just like old times." Garrus said.

Tara walked herself slowly backwards maintaining her biotic bubble as another shuttle pulled up. If she hadn't been taking fire she could have moved quicker but by taking the amount of fire she was the Asari had to focus on keeping her bubble up. "Darian pull her out of there!" Ghost ordered.

"Tara drop the bubble now!" Darian called as he glowed blue. She obeyed and was surrounded in a blue aura as the Turian biotic biotically pulled her out of the direct line of fire through the air and into Ghost's arms.

The purple eyed leader brought the Asari down into cover behind the divider wall. "Shepard what's the plan?" Ghost asked.

"Kill the bastards who are shooting up my home."

He let out a chuckle. "Simple, I like it. Carson get a hack on that shuttle, we're going pirating again." The purple eyed leader responded.

"Aye aye Captain!"

"Darian provide him covering fire, Tara lets kick some ass." Ghost said.

Shepard wasn't sure why but she figured it was best not to ask what exactly his plan was when he hacked into the shuttle. "EDI see if you can send a message to the others, they may be about to be attacked just like us. After that help Carson quicken the hack. The rest of you watch each other's backs and kick some ass." The commander ordered.

"I'm trying to figure out if this is Shepard's natural luck, Ghost's or a terrible combination of the two." Liara said as she put a group of the shooters in a stasis bubble.

"Who cares? We finally get to shoot some of these cowards!" Grunt responded.

"I agree with the Krogan." Javik agreed.

Despite Diana getting caught off guard by the sudden change of not being shot at to being shot at she didn't seem to waver in the slightest. "Do you think these are Saracino's goons?" The reporter asked.

"Maybe. Could be Kelham's as well. Stay behind cover, we'll handle these guys." Shepard told her.

The last thing she wanted was Allers trying to peek around cover to see what was going on only to end up getting shot. These guys had caught them off guard for sure but Team Normandy was about to get there feet back under them and show them why trying to hit them again was a bad idea.

_This is definitely more like what I was expecting._

Shepard wasn't sure if she was happy or upset about that, what she did know was once they took these bastards down Saracino and Kelham were next. They had attacked Kasumi, blew up a refugee camp and now were attacking her home.

This was their third strike and it was high time she struck back.

**A/N: I used an online translator for the phrase in Japanese so I apologize if it is incorrect. Thanks for reading!**


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Coup de grâce

"What a bunch of amateurs!" James boasted as he fired off rounds at the remaining men who were left in the apartment.

"Do you think Saracino or Kelham told them that we'd fight back? It doesn't seem they knew what they were getting into." Tali teased.

Shepard smirked to herself at the banter between her crew due to how easily they were overpowering the people who were attacking her home. To be honest she had to agree with them, these people were way out of their depth.

Compared to fighting Cerberus and Reapers these guys were weaker than the lowest difficulty the Combat Arena offered. _The Combat Arena actually fights back compared to these goons, _Shepard mused.

Their lack of cover at first against the sudden overwhelming numbers had hindered them but now they were essentially taking pot shots at the goons as if it was a sport. That wasn't to say they were risking getting shot, the goons just didn't have enough time to get out of cover most of the time.

Against nine of her squad plus herself and originally four members of the Talons which was now down to two they stood no chance. Ghost and Carson had pirated a shuttle and took off to chase the other shuttle to ensure no one escaped though the redhead was beginning to worry about them.

It had been a worrying amount of time since they had taken off in the shuttle that was still filled with goons. Even if these guys weren't as highly skilled as other enemies there was a certain strength in having numbers.

Kasumi was a recent example of how being outnumbered really could turn the tide against you, especially when you were trying to help others.

Darian and Tara had reassured that they were alive but the redhead could see the tension building between them. If Ghost and Carson didn't manage to clear the shuttle then they would be killed or even worse taken back to Kelham or Saracino who could hurt them before eventually killing them.

They held hope though, they had never known their leader or pilot to lose a close quarter's fight or fail at pirating a ship. Darian threw two Pull fields at his targets nailing them both only to have Tara launch two Warps at them detonating and killing the two. "Nice one!" Darian complimented his teammate.

"Oh you say that to all the Asari who make your biotic's detonate." She joked.

"They weren't supposed to be this heavily armed! Saracino sent us to our deaths!" One of the goons shouted at his partners.

"Sending you against us was asking for death even if we weren't armed!" Liara shouted back.

"Oh come on T'Soni no need to weaken their moral any further." Garrus said.

"Evac is almost here, just hold on!" Another goon shouted.

_Evac? Did Ghost and Carson not stop them?_ Shepard hit one of the goons with a throw knocking them right out the window. It was possible they had called for another shuttle, their evac didn't mean Ghost and Carson didn't succeed.

Shepard wouldn't allow herself to believe they had been overtaken, not when there was still a chance that they were both alive and well.

Sure enough a shuttle showed up though the door did not open right away. "What are you waiting for?! Open the door!"

The door to Shepard's apartment opened revealing a large group of C-Sec entering guns drawn. "Drop your weapons and put your hands up." Bailey ordered who was leading the group.

"Bailey?" Shepard couldn't hide the surprise in her voice. She assumed C-Sec would eventually catch onto the shootout at her apartment but the commander had assumed it would have been after the fight was over when she contacted them.

With how spread thin C-Sec was Shepard didn't think they would have been able to get a reaction force ready and to her apartment in time to make any difference and for the most part she was right. They had shown up at the end of the fight yet sometimes showing up at the last second was good enough.

"Heard you needed a hand." He responded a small smirk gracing his lips before turning serious once more.

_Heard?_ The shuttle door opened revealing Ghost and Carson aiming their guns at the group. "Ahoy mates!" Ghost greeted wearing a smirk. Shepard smirked and shook her head at the two N7s, _of course._

They had probably contacted Bailey to inform him of the fight hoping that if they didn't get back in time that they could lend a hand. Another reason could have been in case the fight was over by the time they got back then C-Sec would be there to arrest the people who weren't dead.

"Took you long enough." Darian wisecracked.

"You know me Darian; I like to make a dramatic entrance." His leader responded. All of the goons decided it was best to lower their guns at the sight of the odds turning even more overwhelming than they had been. Not only had their escape been taken from them but now they had C-Sec aiming their guns at them.

Surrender or death was their options and each of them decided jail time was better than being massacred in a volley of rounds and biotic's. The C-Sec officers began omni-cuffing all of the men allowing Team Normandy and three of the four Talons to regroup in the center of the room with Bailey.

Carson remained in the shuttle keeping it steady and kicking out the men they had killed or knocked out.

They now finally had an opening to go after Kelham and Saracino without getting shot at and by the looks on each of her squads and the Talons faces they were all itching to turn their defense into offense.

So far Terra Firma had managed to get Kasumi into the hospital, bombed a refugee camp, and now attacked them at them all at her own home while they had done nothing but get attacked. That was all about to change; no longer would they continue sit and plan how they were going to strike.

Now it was time to strike and it would only take one strike for them to take them down.

"Well I have to say being around you guys makes life a lot more interesting." Ghost said. Shepard chuckled to herself as Diana joined the group with her camera drone. "Get any good footage?"

"Actually yes, one of those men shouted something about Saracino sending them to their deaths. If that wasn't damning enough everything you and Liara put together is." Allers answered.

This was good, they had all the evidence needed to bring down Saracino and nearly crush Terra Firma into the dust the same as Cerberus. With both groups handicapped by the terrible things their leaders were doing being openly associated with Terra Firma would become more taboo than it already was.

One downfall of this was the people would become more secretive about it the same as Cerberus but that's why there were squads like the N7 Talons to hunt them down and keep them from causing issues.

"What did we find exactly?" James asked.

Glyph appeared next to Liara as she opened her omni-tool pulling up a screen of information that Glyph made larger. "This isn't the first time a rival to Saracino has been mysteriously killed. After the Battle of the Citadel Saracino was going up against a man named Claude Menneau for the leadership of Terra Firma, Claude was actually three points ahead in the polls when he disappeared without out a trace along with his ship and bodyguards."

"Naturally." Shepard commented.

Politicians weren't afraid of getting rid of their competition by any means necessary when they could discreetly hire mercenaries. Wrex had mentioned something similar to her once back on the first Normandy, in her naiveté the commander had thought politicians wouldn't use mercenaries all that often but according to Wrex he would have been out of a job without them.

It was then that Shepard began to see patterns in politics where mercenaries were involved whether it was shake downs, assassination or simply making their opponents have no choice but to disappear through blackmailing.

No one could do anything to stop it though; it was just a part of politics and had been for generations no matter what race you came from. Human history had their own mass of politicians having their competition snuffed out so on a galactic scale it was no surprise.

Not that being common place made it right.

Ghost shook his head at her response. "That's not it though; rumors had run around for years about it and thus started the small investigations on him. Many backroom deals and disappearances later and our most recent victim took on investigating alongside Hackett once the war was over." He turned to the commander his shadowed face completely serious. "They found Claude."

"No shit." Jack said.

Liara and Ghost both nodded along with Allers who had been filled in. "He and one of his bodyguards were found dead in their ship on the ass end of the Sol System assassinated for certain and decayed." Ghost said.

The Shadow Broker pressed a few buttons on her omni-tool bringing up another screen of data thankfully lacking pictures. "But get this, his second bodyguard wasn't there, in fact he was actually found in a Cerberus base raid and he killed himself."

"Wait you're saying-"

"The Illusive Man had him killed to get Saracino in power. Yeah and that still isn't it." Ghost interrupted Tali. "After Shepard left, the glowy bastard had been prepping Saracino while in the meantime making sure Saracino's opposition was minimal and the words he spoke were the ones he wanted voiced."

"Prepping?" Garrus and Tara questioned in unison.

Shepard had already caught onto where this was heading and she really didn't like it. "Udina wasn't the only puppet." She said. Ghost and Liara nodded in agreement. "And Saracino was meant to take over where he left off if I got my hands on him."

"Yes but that's still only two thirds of the answer." Ghost said.

_Only two thirds? How deep does this all go?_ She had always assumed the Illusive Man would have left behind an heir of a sort to ensure Cerberus survived after his death but she had never assumed it would be someone in Terra Firma let alone someone she had once spoken to.

Most of all his lieutenants had been arrested, killed or left the organization because of how crazy he turned out to be. Of course it wasn't a complete surprise there were more the N7 didn't know of, the unfortunate truth of Cerberus and Terra Firma was that they were ideas and ideas were practically impossible to destroy.

You could squash it forcing any of the people following it to go further underground but in the end there would always be people who followed the idea or convinced people to follow them.

Too many people in the galaxy could be sheep being herded by leaders such as these. Even if they managed to destroy both Cerberus and Terra Firma somewhere further in history another group would appear following similar if not identical ideals. The only things that would change would be the faces of the people in it and the name they were under.

"What is the final third Liara T'Soni?" Javik quizzed.

"These last attacks were meant to eliminate us as I'm sure we are all aware of but that is because Saracino is going to opt in as the new human ambassador. We have a recording of him speaking to Kelham about providing the bombs for the refugee camp but there is one problem." Liara let her gaze fall onto the commander attempting to convey that she should brace herself for what she was about to say. "There was one bomb missing."

_Oh no._

"Son of a bitch. He's going to try to assassinate Ambassador Osoba." Bailey concluded in shock.

Panic began to spread across the room, that was damned insane yet it was also possible he could get away with it before they could stop him. Getting rid of the human Ambassador when there was little left of Alliance infrastructure would leave the space open and Saracino could seize the political power of humanity.

The Council could still block him from being a Councilor and it wasn't as if he could become a reigning dictator of the Galaxy but having all the resources of humanity at his disposal in this post-war time would be disastrous.

"Well this is all damning information but if we don't find his final bomb or Osoba we could be looking at an even bigger problem." Darian said.

They needed to act and they needed to act now. Shepard turned to Bailey knowing the C-Sec Commander would know where Osoba was at the least and at the most could get his men to disarm a bomb. "Bailey do you know where the Ambassador is?" Shepard asked.

"He was meeting with the Councilors when I left C-Sec headquarters, I can send bomb squads to his office and home to ensure those areas are safe." He answered.

"Do it. We need to keep him somewhere safe." She turned to Ghost, "Ghost do you think we should go after Kelham?" The redhead asked.

The purple eyed leader gave a sharp nod. "Definitely. He could know the location of the bomb. We have a shuttle already under their IFF signature so say the word and me and my team load up." He said.

It was Shepard's turn to give him nod. He was ready to act and from what she had seen of him thus far the commander was certain he would not let her down. "Go then. Bring Jack, Grunt, James and Javik with you, you may need the backup."

"Gents, ladies and Prothean's you heard her, load up." Ghost ordered. All six of them left to load up as their leader turned to Bailey. "Here are the disarming protocols for the bomb in case your men find it. Shepard I'll bring them back unharmed, I promise." His face was the same serious look he held at the hospital, fun and games appeared to be over for the purple eyed N7 and he would ensure her team would be okay.

She nodded and he turned to leave jogging to the shuttle as he brought his hand to his ear. "Carson get this bird fired up and set the coordinates for the warehouse. Darian send a message to the others and tell them to be on high alert, I don't want any hiccups from here on out. Today Terra Firma burns the same as Cerberus."

He jumped up into the shuttle and before the door even shut the shuttle zoomed off. If there was ever one person outside of the people in her squad she trusted with leading and taking care of her friends it would have to be Ghost. He had proven himself worthy of her trust and had no intentions of ever failing it.

"I don't think I've seen him that serious since he helped me get your body back." Liara said thoughtfully.

"I feel bad for whoever stands in his way. That man has a fire in his eyes that rivals most Krogan." Garrus commented.

"Glad he's on our side." Shepard said with a nod of agreement to Garrus. _He won't fail,_ she thought, _the fire in his eyes was caused by whatever caused them to leave the Blue Suns. He has made a promise to himself to never let the people under his command down again._

Shepard knew the look in his eyes because she had seen it in her own eyes and in people among her squad and during the war from military leaders. Losing the people under your command was what forged the fire and once it was alight there was no way to douse it.

She looked back to EDI and Liara, "So how do we handle Saracino himself? I assume having Diana bring this information to the attention of both the Council and Battlespace is only part of the solution."

EDI nodded. "Yes. The possibility of Saracino assassinating Osoba as well as his original target is too high for us to wait." She answered.

"What do you suggest EDI?" The redhead asked.

"According to public records Saracino is holding a rally to gain support for the spot as the next human ambassador. Arresting him would be the normal course of action but it could incite a riot if he has followers among them. Seeing you among the crowd could make him falter and since C-Sec officers will be nearby if you were to bring this information into the light at such a public rally you could turn his less radical followers against him before having the officers move in."

The sky blue eyed commander brought her hand to her chin in thought as she mulled over the plan. It was a rather solid plan, there wouldn't be any gunfire or violence if they were lucky and she would be able to expose Terra Firma's most recent actions to the entire galaxy. There were bound to be reporters there and if Al-Jilani was there it was possible the reporter would be on the same trail as Diana helping her even more.

Still there was considerable risk in this plan. The redhead was walking into a rally chock-full of anti-alien sympathizers and if he had his own people in the crowd there was no doubt in her mind that they could try to attack her.

_Then again attacking me at the rally would only prove my point further though I want to take all the precautions I can._ "It sounds like a good plan but is there a possibility of snipers?" She asked.

"I wouldn't put it past them." Miranda said.

"Well if you're going to take this route Shepard I can get a team of snipers to give us the best locations to attack from and send them to locations where they could counter-attack them." Bailey offered.

"It would be helpful Shepard; the last thing you need is to get shot at a rally being coordinated by Terra Firma. There are no fish tanks to help you escape." Garrus said.

Her crew and Bailey laughed at her expense as she smiled and shook her head. _I am never going to live that down._ "Very funny Garrus. Do you want to join the sniper team?" He nodded. "Okay, Bailey could you give Garrus a ride? The sooner he and your team have a look at the area the better."

"You got it Shepard." Bailey said before he and Garrus left.

"What about the rest of us Shepard?" Miranda asked.

All that remained of her squad were Miranda, Tali, EDI, Liara, Diana and herself. Diana needed to start putting together her story and she wasn't someone she would bring into a possible fire fight. This last incident was the only time the reporter had been caught in a ground fire fight with her crew if you didn't include Joker piloting the Normandy throughout the war.

"Diana I want you to head back to the Normandy to do your report, it's the safest place I can think of and you won't have to worry about being interrupted." She nodded in understanding leaving immediately. "The rest of you I want shadowing me at this rally. I trust Garrus and the sniper team but I also want eyes on the ground just in case."

Her crew nodded and with their plan ready to go it was finally time to act on it.

* * *

"Darian." The Turian turned to Ghost who was coming out of the cockpit wearing what Brad would call his game face. This mission was going to be all about precision at a swift speed to ensure Saracino didn't catch word of Kelham being taken down before Shepard got to him.

What the other team would do was unknown to the Turian N7 but for now it wasn't his concern. He needed to stay focused on what he was tasked with, his mind needed to remain unburdened by the possible ways Shepard and her squad would take down Saracino.

Right now his sights were set on Elias Kelham, the man who gave the bombs to Saracino that blew up the refugee camp.

The camp that he could have saved but wasn't able to.

"You good?" His leader asked.

He gave a firm nod. Yes he was definitely good, his eyes were set on the objective, his mind was clear of all superfluous thoughts and he had come up with contingency plans for contingency plans in case things went horribly wrong.

"What exactly is our plan here love?" Tara asked joining the duo grabbing a safety bar on the ceiling to keep herself steady as Carson did what he did better than any Turian Darian had ever known could do.

Their amber eyed pilot was taking the quickest route to the warehouse which meant going between buildings and doing what Darian liked to call shuttle jumps when he would boost over objects.

_Good thing Val isn't piloting right now, Spirits knows she enjoys flying shuttles without inertial dampeners on._ The Asari pilot was an adrenaline junky if the Turian N7 had ever seen one, Ghost usually was suckered into being the one who went with her when she took the shuttle for a spin and every time he came back a bit disoriented.

Then there were the missions that Valera was shuttle pilot on. Over the years there had been numerous times where they were being chased and had to escape to the Setting Sun and the damn woman left the inertial dampeners off.

Why?

_"Because it makes it fun."_ As Valera had told them every time before cackling madly at their expense.

Darian could remember a specific mission on Illium where Whitney had been severely injured during a fight with Eclipse mercenaries. The leader of the Eclipse was an Asari the steel blue eyed Turian only knew by the name of Captain Enyala and they had ambushed Ghost, Whitney, Gallick, Carson and Grissom in an apartment complex.

Valera had been on shuttle duty due to Carson being on the ground while Darian was trying to coordinate an evac and get their friends out of there back on the Setting Sun. During the fight Ghost had got caught in a hand to hand fight with Enyala and the Asari had pulled a blade on him, she had her team shooting at their purple eyed leader during the fight so he was stuck fighting a two front war.

The stubborn bastard had ordered the others to take cover further back but Whitney was just as stubborn as Ghost and some days she proved she could be more stubborn. She charged back into the field of battle when her leader had knocked the Asari to the ground and tried focusing on the other Eclipse not seeing Enyala get back up her blade aiming right at his back.

Their red headed hot head jumped between him and the blade getting stabbed right through her side but did that stop her? Darian shook his head mentally, _of course not, Whitney could have been shot in both knees and she'd still get back on her feet and fight._

Ghost had almost killed the Asari once the shock had worn off but she escaped by diving out a nearby window down to the next floor while the purple eyed leader grabbed his red headed friend and retreated back to the others.

Once Darian received the call that Whitney had been wounded and they needed to get the hell off Illium he and Tara began prepping their ship as Valera went to pick them up. Escaping and saving their teammate had both been considerable close calls since none of the ground squad had any medi-gel left over.

Even then though Valera had the inertial dampeners off and Carson in the pilot seat with her as Gallick and Ghost used their shuttles backward facing cannons to take on the gunships that were sent after them. For the two it was only one of the many hard times they had in the shuttle gunner seats because they hadn't strapped in and Valera was pulling crazy stunts as usual.

According to the pilots, one who was boasting and the other who was in shock at what they had done, they had managed to do a full loop with the shuttle and their gunners had been in the sticky predicament of trying to stay seated and shoot.

_Guess it's best Carson is piloting this bird since we'd be the only ones used to Val's piloting and Shepard's half of our team wouldn't be._ "Well that depends, are you looking for the simple explanation or the long and involved one?" Ghost asked in return wearing his smirk.

"You know me love; I'm all for going over every detail no matter how long it takes." Tara teased winking at him.

"That I do. Okay Talons, Team Normandy listen up." All attention was brought to the purple eyed N7 as he opened his omni-tool bringing up the warehouse schematics. "Our best guess at resistance at this warehouse is probably a dozen mercenaries of varying skill. Once we get there we're going to land on the roof landing pad and me and my guys are going to enter through a skylight here."

A red circle appeared on the skylight they would enter from, "Now I'm nearly positive that the IFF we have isn't going to fool them because let's face it, who the hell could survive going against you guys plus us?" They all smirked including the Prothean. "We're really the distraction team; we want to bait Kelham and his goons out of the shadows." Ghost explained.

Jack, Javik, Grunt, and James nodded in understanding of what the four N7 Talons were doing. "So we're glorified bait? Why doesn't that ever surprise me?" Darian mused.

"Well people just like to shoot at us so why not make ourselves appear as if we are cornered rats? It's worked every time so far." Ghost retorted.

"You make Lola seem sane Loco." James said.

"Sounds like we're the door kickers." Jack commented wearing a smirk.

Ghost gave a nod. "In a few short words yes you are. There's a fire escape here and here. Split into teams of two and enter from both sides." Red circles popped up on the sides of the building, "When we crash through use these codes to get in the doors without setting off an alarm."

The purple eyed N7 sent the codes through to the four then continued by pulling up a red circle on the inside of the building overlooking where they would land on the ground floor. "There's a catwalk that runs where the doors are and building plans show they are completely solid so no one should be able to see you four unless there is a guard up there. If there is try to take him out silently otherwise we'll use his scream as the signal to kill the guards who showed up." Ghost explained.

"Sounds like we're expecting to get in a gunfight either way." Tara said thoughtfully.

"Yeah." Ghost nodded in agreement. "We're going to be right in everyone's line of sight so once I give the signal I need you to create a biotic bubble around us, I don't know how long our shields and your normal barriers will last against their direct gunfire."

"The warehouse may have cover for you four to use if it is full." James offered.

"Maybe but I'm hoping the gunfight isn't drawn out too long, once the signal is given whether from me or if you guys get spotted I want you to rain hell on anyone who isn't Kelham. He'll probably be the only one without a gun or wearing a suit; if I can I'll grab him as a human shield to ensure he doesn't get caught in our gunfire." Ghost said.

"Sounds like this is going to be fun." Grunt grinned.

_He's a lot like Kar, _Darian chuckled to himself. "That's if you can keep up Tiny." Jack challenged her teammate.

"Oh I can keep up; I was more worried about you Jack. You've gotten softer since the Collectors." Grunt challenged back.

As the two began having a debate the three Talons smirked to themselves seeing the four of Shepard's team bearing similar resemblances to their own friends. Shepard's team was a family the same as theirs and though they debated with one another, the care for each other never faded.

They'd always watch each other's backs no matter what, it was the same for the N7 Talons no matter how many times Brad and Whitney fought or how many times Valera and Carson argued over who was the better pilot.

Both duo's would always stand by the others side through the hardest fights and for Valera and Carson the two knew alone they were great pilots but together they were unstoppable the same as Brad and Whitney in fights.

"Captain we're approaching the landing pad. I've already gotten us clearance to land but we won't have a lot of time to get the rappelling equipment attached. It's going to be tight." Carson informed from the cockpit.

"Understood. Darian, Tara grab your gear and get ready. Carson put this thing on auto-pilot and grab yours as well." Ghost turned to the Normandy squad. "You guys ready?"

"Hell yeah." Jack responded.

"I am ready." Javik answered.

"Ready when you are Loco." James said.

"Ready." Grunt said.

_Time to take this bastard down,_ Darian thought. Carson and Ghost grabbed their gear and as soon as the shuttle began to land he opened the door jumping out his squad following him as the Normandy team split into two groups, Jack and Grunt on one team and Javik and James on the other.

All four Talons moved quickly to the skylight hooking up to what they could and all mentally praying it was solid enough to hold their weight. Darian and Tara were on one side of the skylight while Carson and Ghost were on the other side. "Team Normandy you ready?" Ghost asked.

"Yep." Jack answered.

"Yes." Javik responded.

"Alright, breaching in three, two, one." All four Talons unloaded their guns into the glass weakening it before jumping into it in unison breaking straight through and rappelling all the way to the ground.

They landed on the ground detaching their rappelling equipment and creating a small diamond formation with their guns aiming into all the shadows. "Come out Kelham! You're under arrest for so many crimes that I don't feel like listing them off!" Ghost ordered.

As if on cue twelve guards appeared their guns drawn aimed at the Talons, Darian found his back facing Ghost with Tara at his side her back facing Carson. They were surrounded in a circle and if they hadn't prepared this would have been a definitive shitstorm.

There was a slow clap grabbing the attention of all four of the N7s as a man wearing a suit walked through his crowd of goons. _There he is._ "Well done, well done. You've caught me." Kelham said condescendingly. Darian felt his plates begin to itch at the smug attitude this man had, he was the supplier of bombs that had killed and wounded a group of refugees and here he was acting as if he was untouchable.

_Stay calm Darian, stay calm. He isn't going to get away with his crimes. _"Drop your guns, you know you're surrounded and out gunned." Kelham ordered keeping his distance from them.

Ghost gave a small chuckle. "You hear that guys? It looks like our gig is over. It appears we have been outsmarted by this man and have no choice but to give up and accept death on our hands and knees." He lowered his pistol as Darian, Tara and Carson gave small laughs not moving to lower their weapons in the slightest. "Give it up Kelham, you can no longer hide after helping Terra Firma bomb the refugee camp, hurt our friend and plan to assassinate the human ambassador."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Kelham questioned.

"Oh you didn't know? The final bomb is meant for the human ambassador, now how long do you think you'll last once C-Sec finds your name written all over the bomb?" Ghost asked.

Kelham approached their leader forgetting that he still had his M-11 in his hand. "You're bluffing." He stated.

"Oh no I'm not, how do you think I found you? You were the fall guy Kelham, nothing more." Ghost said. Before Kelham could respond the purple eyed N7 grabbed him turning him into a human shield signaling Tara to create a biotic bubble. "Unleash hell!"

* * *

"Shepard the sniper team is in position." Garrus came over the comm.

_It's time then._ Shepard would be lying to herself if she said she wouldn't get any enjoyment out of bringing Saracino down. He had been prepped by the Illusive Man to essentially turn Terra Firma into a more public version of Cerberus who would never be accused of the "accidents" they arranged.

All she had to do was stick to the plan of approaching Saracino and prove to the public that he was the one behind the attack on the refugee camp and was planning to kill Ambassador Osoba. Once there was even the slightest shift in the winds where the public believed her then C-Sec would move in arrest him.

The redhead hoped everything was going well for the Talons and her team, she knew she could trust Ghost to keep them safe but her protectiveness over her squad kept worry ever present in her.

Of course Shepard was well aware they could handle themselves, jitters were just getting the best of her knowing Kasumi had been taken by surprise and put in the hospital.

"Alright Garrus, see anything?" Shepard asked.

"No but that only means they could be waiting for a signal. Don't worry Shepard we'll keep you covered."

There wasn't a doubt in her mind, Garrus had never failed at watching her back and now would be no different. "Miri are you all ready?" The commander asked.

"We're ready Shepard." The former Cerberus operative answered.

"Okay, time to bring this guy down." The redhead began moving through the crowd of people noticing Al-Jilani at the front of the rally speaking directly to Saracino who was answering pointed questions full of suspicion.

_Looks like she's caught on as well, _Shepard thought, _for once I'm glad to see her here. She may actually help me like she did during the war._ "Mr. Saracino, fancy meeting you here." The commander greeted.

His features showed how stunned he was that she was there but he quickly recovered putting on his fake smile. "Ah Commander Shepard, it's a pleasure to see you again. You've become quite famous since last we met."

Al-Jilani found her gaze falling onto the N7 noticing the tension between the two. "Khalisah it's been sometime." She greeted the reporter ignoring his statement.

"Yes though it's understandable, you've had to recover from serious wounds thanks to the war." The reporter said.

"I got off easier than most, some have had their loved ones torn from them, others their limbs taken and many more didn't make it. Some managed to survive the war only to have loved ones nearly taken from them thanks to suicide bombers." Shepard stated bluntly.

Saracino visibly flinched beginning to understand exactly why she was here. "I've heard of the recent tragedy. I have been collecting donations to help the survivors and those grieving." The politician attempted to regain his footing.

_Not today Saracino, today you're whole world comes crashing. _"That's very noble for you, a lot nobler than sending men to my home to try to kill me and my friends."

"That's a damning accusation Commander." Saracino fired back not falling easily from the verbal lance.

"Not as damning as using a criminal scum like Elias Kelham to provide you with bombs to destroy that camp." Shepard shot back.

Dealing with the Council blockading her at every turn had prepared Shepard for this moment of bringing all the evidence she had forward and dropping a reality bomb on someone.

Saracino didn't have anything in his court and no power to ignore what she had to say as the Council did with the Reapers. Dropping reality on someone and having it acknowledged for once was going to become one of the redhead's new favorite pastimes. "Excuse me Commander but are you saying that Charles Saracino is the one behind that attack?" Al-Jilani questioned sounding pretty convinced the commander wasn't lying.

Never would Shepard have thought that this reporter in particular would believe her right away nor did she believe she would be happy to have her on her side. Ever since she had become a Spectre Khalisah had tried her fair share of attempts at smearing the redhead for who knows why.

Maybe it was because she was a reporter or maybe it was because finding some deep dark secret or confidential information slip up would have made her entire career. Still once the Reapers landed on Earth the reporter had stepped up to the plate to keep the Council and all others from forgetting how bad Earth was being decimated.

Allers had leant a huge hand being on the Normandy giving direct information for others to see what they were doing for the war effort but Khalisah had been on the Citadel keeping Earth in everyone's face.

She wouldn't back down no matter what, even if her accusations about conspiracies were way out there Shepard had to commend her for the role she played in keeping people from forgetting about their home planet. "I'm not one for beating around the bush Khalisah; I've seen the nightmares of the Reapers firsthand leaving me tired of politicians who would do everything to destroy every good thing that had come out of that forsaken war."

"So you tell me _Mr. Saracino_." She spat his name. "Why exactly do you think humans should continue to stand alone against all the races who bled for Earth in order to give us the chance to end the war?"

"I see a sniper, taking him down." Garrus said.

"Better yet why don't we rewind the clock a little and talk about what happened to Claude Menneau." Shepard said.

"Last I knew he disappeared, we tried to investigate into it but we couldn't find him." Saracino replied coolly.

Shepard let out a small chuckle; this guy really knew how to keep his cool on the outside while he was sweating on the inside.

A politician through and through.

The redhead could see it in his eyes; everything was going so horribly wrong he wasn't sure what to do. "Actually they found him."

His eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. News of this had yet to reach his ears apparently or he feared the next words that were going to come out of her mouth. "And when I say _they_ I mean an Alliance Admiral and a certain politician who was just killed in the refugee camp that was bombed today. He was murdered along with one of his bodyguards, his other bodyguard happened to be a Cerberus agent who the Alliance found in a Cerberus raid. He killed himself."

Khalisah's head was pivoting between the two as if she was watching a ball be hit back and forth between the two of them. "Mr. Saracino, what do you have to say about these…damning allegations?" She asked.

"Oh I wasn't done yet-"

"Another sniper down."

_Guess he really doesn't skip out on the protection._ "I contacted an agent of the Shadow Broker because I couldn't stand the fact that after everything we did to stop Cerberus a group of humans had blown up a refugee camp. After some research he found logs of credits being transferred from an account known to be connected to a high up Cerberus official to Saracino."

"These accusations are ridiculous and the result of a muddled mind due to the war." Saracino interrupted.

The reporter frowned at the man turning her attention back to Shepard after she did. "A high up official? Do you have a name?"

"You can't be serious." Saracino said in disbelief that seemed genuine.

Accusing Shepard of having a muddled mind was his biggest mistake thus far if you didn't include all the crimes he had committed. Once you started slinging insults and degrading someone who had only spoke facts you only weakened you're standing and you're defenses became nothing but childish remarks. "No, not a real name but it's one I know all too well." She paused for dramatics. "The Illusive Man."

"Interesting, do you have these logs to show Commander?" Khalisah asked.

Saracino was quaking on the inside, in his eyes Shepard could see everything he had dreamed of burning down around him.

Taking him down was a lot sweeter than she thought it would be.

"On me? No. Only because of how sensitive the information was I couldn't risk it falling into the wrong hands or being wiped if a decent hacker was about. But it will come to light very soon along with many other details we found, for instance his planned assassination on Ambassador Osoba."

It was then that Saracino pulled out a gun aiming it right at Shepard's forehead; the commander merely smirked at the man. "That was a really bad move." He pulled the trigger only for the heatsink to begin venting.

"Large force moving in on you Shepard." EDI came over the comm.

The redhead disarmed Saracino flipping the man over her and onto the ground. She bent his arm at an awkward angle then pinned her knee into the middle of his spine as both her squad and C-Sec officers mobilized disarming and taking down all his men. "What did you do to my gun?" The politician seethed from the ground.

"I had a friend sabotage it with a tech attack; do you think I'd really confront you without having a backup plan in case you pulled a gun on me? I take down chumps like you on the way to real fights."

"You may have taken me down Commander but you will never save the Ambassador." Saracino said.

His threat that they wouldn't save the Ambassador sounded real enough and that worried the commander. They were running out of time for sure and it would take her sometime to get back to the shuttle.

_Ghost please tell me you've already disarmed the bomb or at the least got the ambassador out of there, _Shepard thought as she brought her hand up to her ear connecting her comm to Ghost. "Ghost did you get the information on the bomb from Kelham?"

"Shepard I- Oh fuck. Ambassador get down!" An explosion filled the comm before cutting to static.

"Ghost? Ghost do you read me?"

Static filled her ear.

"Ghost if this is supposed to be one of your jokes then you got me and it's not funny." Shepard tried to connect to him again.

Static was her only response.

Saracino began laughing at her under her knee as if this was the funniest thing in the entire galaxy. She promptly punched him in the back of his head knocking him unconscious as she switched her channel over to Darian. _Don't let him be dead, please don't let him be dead._ "Darian do you read me?"

"Hold on Commander." His voice was struggled. "Tara you can't do anything! If you jump after him you'll only get yourself killed!"

"Let go of me Darian!" The Asari shouted back her voice cracking.

Dread filled Shepard as she listened to the Asari trying to fight back against the Turian over the comm. "Carson close the damn door and get us down there now! That's an order!" Darian shouted at the pilot.

_No._

_Not another life lost._

Tara's blissful smile as she looked at Ghost in the reflection of her big picture window flashed through her mind, the purple eyed N7s smirk and constant interrupting back at the casino when she and Kasumi would forget about the mission they were on passed through next.

And now it was possible his smirk was gone forever and the blissful smile Tara wore just by staring at him would be as well.

"I see them! They landed in the Presidium lake but they look….they don't look conscious." Carson said changing his sentence before saying dead.

"Bring us in close Carson, we'll use our biotic's to pull them out."

Shepard got off of Saracino as a C-Sec officer came over to take him into custody. Soon her team surrounded her all looking quite sullen hearing everything going on in the comm. "No matter what happens Shepard you can't blame yourself." Liara attempted to comfort.

"I know."

_But that doesn't make it any better._

"Tara wake the fuck up! He doesn't have a pulse and I have no idea what the hell I'm doing!" Darian shouted trying to get to his teammate.

Shepard could hear Tara trying CPR on her lover choking out the numbers as she worked. Time felt fuzzy as she would restart her numbers and go through the motions again of trying to resuscitate Ghost.

No matter how many times she tried nothing happened and it was then that sadness filled Shepard and her team listening to the sobs escaping Tara.

"Fuck." Darian cursed.

_Damn it._

* * *

Darian couldn't believe it.

After more than a decade of going into fights and following Ghost through everything they had gone through…he was gone.

Death wasn't something new to the Turian, he had seen a lot of it during the war and had witnessed the death of friends but none of those deaths had prepared him for this.

More than ten years ago the two of them had met in the slums of Omega choosing to join the Blue Suns in an attempt to finally live somewhere better than a shithole apartment full of rats. The bond they shared with one another was a brotherly bond more than it was a friendship, the two of them had watched each other's backs no matter how tough the fight or how hopeless a situation seemed.

They had dreamed of one day no longer having to live as mere pawns for the Suns and finally getting out into the Galaxy to see what was out there and they had succeeded. No they had done more than succeed; they had made a complete turnaround compared to the life they had once lived.

Everything they had dreamed of had come true and then things got even better than they could have ever dreamed of back in the slums. They had survived the damn Reaper War and were finally going to get to see what peace time was going to be like.

Sure they were still going to be taking down Cerberus and now by the looks of it Terra Firma as well but they weren't going to have to fight giant death bringing machines.

Eventually they would have been able to retire and continue to live better than they ever had…but now that dream was taken away from the man and the Turian wasn't sure what the hell to do.

Nothing seemed to make sense anymore. Without Ghost around the N7 Talons would have never existed, without Ghost the N7 Talons weren't the N7 Talons. They didn't have their purple eyed friend to lead them or crack jokes or to crack jokes at.

He had always been there for them watching after them as an older sibling would their younger siblings only he wasn't the oldest of the group.

He was just the one who glued them all together and gave them a life worth living.

Tara was sobbing at the loss of her lover and his friend. The Normandy squad was silent for them the Ambassador coming around thanks to Ghost cushioning the man's fall. They had all lost friends and in the Ambassador's case he had lost a son so they remained in their respective silence as they watched the two suffer through something far worse than death.

Death was simple for those who died, one second you were alive the next you weren't. It was those who were left behind that suffered, those left behind weren't granted peace as the person who passed was.

As Tara continued to sob fury instead of sadness built up in the Turian at the audacity Ghost had to go and leave her like this, to leave them all like this.

To mourn him after all the shit they had survived as if they hadn't mourned enough for the friends they had lost to the Suns.

_No!_ "Tara move." Darian told her forcefully. She obediently let go of her lover as he programmed his omni-tool to let off an electrical charge then the Turian let out a wordless shout as he slammed a fist full of electricity into Ghost's chest. "So you are just going to fucking quit?!" He shouted at the man his tone carrying his pain and anger.

He slammed his fist into his chest again.

"After all the shit we went through?!" Memories of everything they had went through from the Blue Suns betraying them to the Reaper War flashed through the Turian's mind.

Another punch.

"You're just going to leave your friends?!" Over the years Ghost had made rounds across the Setting Sun going to each of them to learn more about them and create the bond they had. Darian had never seen dedication to a crew as Ghost had until he met Shepard and now that bond was being shattered by death the same as it had when they had lost their friends to the Suns.

Another punch.

"You're going to leave your lover?!" Darian had been his best friend for years yet no one was going to hurt like Tara was and this bastard was just letting death take him leaving her as if he didn't care.

They had shared a great love and even though she would have mourned him eventually the least he could have done was stick around long enough to give her a hundred years' worth of memories and the little blue children he had promised during the final moments of the Reaper war for if they survived.

Another punch.

"You!" Ghost's usual smirk flashed in his mind.

Punch.

"Self!" His laugh echoed next.

Punch.

"Centered!" The look of determination on his face when things got serious came next.

Punch.

"Piece!" Watching him go into a head-butting contest with Kar was another.

Punch.

"Of shit!" Various memories of the man and their crew together all having a good time or fighting side by side flashed through his thoughts.

Punch.

…

Nothing.

Darian punched the floor of the shuttle as he let out an angered scream due to no change happening whatsoever. "Damn it Ghost! Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!"

The Turian felt tears welling in his own eyes at the loss of such a great friend. He wasn't supposed to go now, he was their leader and Darian had no idea what the hell he was supposed to do. None of the preparations Ghost had made to ensure he would lead their friends had prepared him for his death because it was never supposed to happen like this.

They were meant as contingency plans for contingency plans which they never had to fall back on. Out of all the times they had to be used why couldn't it have been in a battle scenario?

Why did it have to be his death?

He clamped both of his hands together creating a biotic field mixed with electricity. "Wake up!" He slammed them into his chest.

…

Nothing happened.

Darian let out ragged breaths as he stared at his hands in agony at the pain his heart was giving him. _This wasn't how it was supposed to end! _

Tara laid herself down on top of Ghost's chest again letting her sobs escape her once more knowing now there was nothing they could do. Maybe if they had Grissom on board he would have been able to save him but there had been no way to have him there, he was needed to help Kasumi and for that he couldn't blame the Drell, Ghost, or Shepard.

They had done everything they could to save him and that would have been good enough in Ghost's eyes. "Spirits...guide him to our fallen friends…and then have them kick his ass." Darian whispered quietly.

Silence filled the shuttle aside from the cries of Tara as the best friend and lover of the purple eyed leader were suffocated in sorrowful sadness.

_Damn you Ghost._

"It's really hard to breathe…with you on top of me Tara."

Darian and Tara awoke from their sadness to see purple eyes staring back at them, shock replaced sadness and neither of them knew what to say or do. "It appears this "Ghost" human is too stubborn for even death to take him." Javik commented from behind them.

"Ghost." Said man turned his head to look to Darian who promptly punched him as hard as he could in the face. "Don't you dare ever do that to Tara or me again or I swear I will send you to the Spirits myself!"

Tara hugged the grounded man kissing him on the cheek. "I love you. I love you so much." She cried into his shoulder.

"And I love you."

The steel blue eyed Turian pushed himself back onto his feet and entered the cockpit, "Carson, get us to Huerta."

"Aye aye."

"Shepard we'll meet you at Huerta, sorry for making you listen to that." Darian apologized.

"It's fine, I know the feeling. Remind me never to recommend you as a doctor." Shepard teased sounding pleased that Ghost had actually pulled through.

Darian chuckled to himself. "Yes ma'am."

He walked back into the passenger area to see Ghost sitting up being held tightly by Tara as if letting him go would cause him to disappear.

_Too close Ghost, way too close. I would yell at you more for making me believe you had died…but I know Tara will scold you later so I'll leave it to her._

_Someone's going to have to save you from her wrath once the shock wears off._


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Promises Made, Promises Kept

"Terra Firma is now under a large investigation by C-Sec and the Alliance thanks to the recent arrest of Terra Firma leader Charles Saracino and one of his criminal accomplices Elias Kelham. Both men and many others from the recently believed political organization turned criminal are facing charges of many counts of murder, attempted assassination of a political figure, and the attempted murder of the Normandy team and the N7 Talons."

"These are the only known charges at this time but as the investigations continue it may be possible we will be seeing more added on including ties to the terrorist group Cerberus. In popular news N7 Talons leader codenamed "Ghost" has received commendations for his heroic actions to save Ambassador Osoba nearly costing him his own life. Doctors have said he is recovering well and rumors are Ambassador Osoba may petition to the Council to give him Spectre status-"

A groan echoed in the hospital room as the vid screen was shut off making Shepard chuckle. She turned her head to see the purple eyed leader lying on his bed picking up one of the data-pads off the cabinet top where Darian had left them so he could get some work done while he was forced to stay in the hospital.

Al-Jilani was running her own report on the events that had happened two days ago now that Diana had released hers bringing all the facts none of the other reporters knew about to light. Everything had gone perfectly to plan in that aspect, her report had broken all of Terra Firma's foundation and now they were steadily collapsing as each day went by.

Humans and aliens alike were calling for them to be brought down thanks to their ties to Cerberus, blowing up the refugee camp and their attempts at taking the Ambassadors and the two squads of war heroes lives.

They no longer had any political or public support and that was gratifying, now they were under the watching eyes of the Alliance, who had no tolerance for people with Cerberus ties right now, and C-Sec, who _really_ didn't have any tolerance for people with Cerberus ties.

To say the coup attempt during the war really made Citadel Security and the stations occupants hateful of the group was an understatement. They weren't all going around throwing hate at humans in general, mostly because humans were a part of the people who hated Cerberus, but if by some stroke of luck Kelham and Saracino managed to get away with minimal sentencing's Shepard was sure there would be riots.

It wouldn't happen of course, no matter how great of a lawyer they had all of the factual evidence they had collected and put out for everyone to see was damning to anyone connected to it. They were looking at life in prison, dying in prison by someone who hated Cerberus and Terra Firma, or being put to death before that. If it was life in prison they were going to likely be put into solitary or into the high security wing to ensure they didn't organize anything from the inside or make escape attempts.

Knowing that for the time being there wouldn't be any radicals trying to blow up more refugee camps or take the lives of her friends allowed the commander to once more relax as she had before. All that was left to do was wait for both Kasumi to wake up and for Ghost to get checked out of Huerta for things to finally be back to normal.

Kasumi had woken up briefly the day before but since she tried to get out of bed Chakwas had to put her back to sleep with a sedative. Her lovable thief was a stubborn woman not wanting to lie in the hospital when she was clearly needing help still yet a little voice told Shepard that the thief had gotten that stubborn because of her.

It was a thought that made her smile and she knew she was one of the reasons, if not _the_ reason her lover wanted to get out of the bed so badly. To be honest the redhead wanted to break her out of the hospital and get her back to the apartment herself so she could show how much she missed her and loved her.

As well as scold her for nearly scaring the life out of her.

If Shepard was never going to live down the fish tank incident then Kasumi was never going to live down scaring her so badly by nearly getting killed.

For now though she chose to not end up getting sedated by the mother figure of the Normandy by trying to steal away a patient in need. Though there was no brain damage done she had some physical wounds still and Chakwas wanted her fully healed before releasing her. _It's not so bad, at least when she's released we won't be forced to wait a week before engaging in anything, _Shepard mused.

The N7 was looking forward to holding Kasumi in her arms again, she missed being able to feel her bare skin under her hands and having her in a close proximity to her.

To be able to taste her lips and body again, to stare into her magnificent eyes and see the burning fires of life in them once more, to sate the desires that lay in her heart with the woman who her heart belonged to.

Pleasurable shivers made their way down Shepard's spine at the mere thoughts of being able to do all those things again. She loved Kasumi so much and she could have lost her thanks to Kelham and Saracino. All these recent events had done was remind the redhead of the fragility of life ensuring that she would make the best of every day with the thief regardless of what the rest of her day was like.

Though she had been doing that originally Shepard planned to do more than she had been and to make sure the dreams they shared were lived together.

There was no doubt in the commanders mind that Kasumi would be of the same mind when they spoke next but until they were able to she had been passing time by talking to Hackett and now checking in on Ghost.

Hackett had given her fair warning that she was going to have to come back soon because of her intervention in the Saracino mess. It had brought her name right back into the public eye and now people were questioning when she would be back more often and the Council was in the same boat.

As Bailey had told her around the time when she had woken back up, the Council didn't know what the hell they were doing right now because they hadn't been the ones to form the alliances between all the races. Shepard had been the one to do it and now the Council had to deal with the leaders of each race who had stepped up to help, mainly Primarch Victus and Wrex.

Thankfully there had been no fallouts between the Krogan's and the other races or any breakage of the alliances made during the war. The Salarian Union knew without Shepard, her team and Thane their Councilor would be dead so they appeared to no longer care about the Genophage cure. Primarch Victus had survived the siege on Earth and he was an ally who gave all his support for the Alliance and Krogan's working alongside both Hackett and Wrex.

The three Councilors now were assistants in a way to the military leaders trying to learn everything it took to bring everyone together and what this new galactic stage looked like. Much to Shepard's surprise they were asking for her aid finally willing to listen to her words. That's all the commander had ever wanted, she wanted them to listen, to hear her words without batting them away claiming her to be delusional all so they could be prepared for the Reapers.

She had seen in the Citadel Archives with her Spectre access that there was belief in Reapers but instead of doing anything about it they locked it away and chose a blissful ignorance instead of preparation. In any event there was little use in getting angry about it now, now they were finally willing to listen and this time it wasn't just her voice they would be hearing, it would be the voices of everyone who had fought and bled in the war.

Their highest ranking military leaders, Matriarchs and now the Krogan's, Batarian's, Geth and Quarian's were among them as well as all the other races who fought were cooperating with one another and proving to the Council why the bonds forged in war were the strongest. The Council had never believed such a thing possible leaving them utterly clueless on how to proceed letting the warriors continue their cooperation because of how much they were achieving.

All the previous bad blood was mostly dead and gone and as long as they didn't try to come in and start putting things back to how they had been that bad blood would become extinguished.

Right now the chief priority was getting the relays working again and by the sounds of it the races were nearing a breakthrough thanks to some of the data found in the Mars Archives.

They needed to get the relays and communications on the galactic level back on to find out how everyone else was holding up right now and get the other races back to their homeworlds for repairs. Granted everyone was going to have to pitch in to each homeworlds restoration regardless of race because of how much damage was caused but Shepard held faith that everyone would.

Reapers had a way with mass destruction and Earth was a good enough example as to what Palaven, Thessia and every other world hit by them needed in terms of help. The only worry Shepard had were a few people, Admiral Xen and the Salarian Dalatrass being chief among them.

Xen was crazy.

She would no doubt be working on some way to try to get the Geth back under her control despite them finally having their own consciousness which made them people not machines. Well in Shepard's eyes they had always been people, Legion before he had sacrificed himself was always a person to her. He had fought by her side and never once tried to kill her or her friends, unlike Admiral Han'Gerral.

_At least Raan, Koris and Tali are Admirals,_ Shepard thought. They would keep those two in line and if the commander had any say Xen would be kept under watch constantly to make sure she didn't perform her experiments on the Geth or try creating a new A.I. to enslave.

Then there was the Salarian Dalatrass and anyone who agreed with her idea of keeping the Krogan's sterile.

A lot of people now agreed with giving the Krogan's a chance because of their help in the war and how they continued to help even after it not once complaining about Turian's or Salarian's who they fought and bled beside.

The Dalatrass on the other hand the redhead didn't trust one bit, she had seen enough stupid ideas that the Salarian's were working on when she was on Sur'Kesh and then trying to get her to agree with that backroom deal to betray the Krogan really made Shepard want to slap the Dalatrass.

As far as she was concerned they needed a new Dalatrass, one who didn't have such a disdain for the Krogan. That wasn't in her hands though so she had to hope at the least the Salarian's who didn't hold her belief would become more prominent in the race.

With Bakara and Wrex leading the Krogan the N7 knew they would be led down a gentler path and her trust would not be misplaced. Bakara and Mordin had been as close as a Krogan and Salarian could be after years and years of hate, her remorse over his lost told the commander that she would keep Wrex and the other Krogan males in line as soon as they were able to get contact back to Tuchanka.

They would honor their promise to not cause another Krogan rebellion.

Still Shepard was going to have to get involved with peace talks and such once they had the relays up and running.

Nothing else really mattered if they couldn't get out of the Sol system.

There wasn't much Shepard could do in that aspect so the only thing for her to do was to give interviews and help the refugees like her friends had been doing. Once the relays were back online and the Normandy completely fixed then she was going to volunteer to escort ships as they went around fixing relays.

It would be a boring job but at least it would be easy and get her back on the Normandy with her squad, or at least anyone who wanted to come along.

Fortunately there was still time before both going into the public eye once again and having to worry about dealing with political problems so in the meantime the redhead would enjoy herself as much as she could.

Right now that meant checking in on Ghost to make sure he was okay, give him a hard time about being popular in the media and then going to see if Kasumi would wake up this time around when she was waiting. "So aside from being the center of rumors and popular media, how are you holding up?" Shepard asked her tone teasing at first then genuine after.

"I'm doing pretty good for having my heart jump started by a mixture of biotic's and electricity, Grissom says even though I was saved I have to be watched to make sure nothing bad happens." Ghost responded then shrugged slightly. "Said something about how the danger of drowning and such isn't over after being resuscitated. I'm stuck here for a few more days until they are sure I'm good to go."

"How are your guys holding up?" She asked.

Hearing the suffocating sadness in Tara's sobs and the raged sorrow in Darian's voice as he tried to revive their leader had been hard to listen to and it was another reminder of why she had to fight to keep her friends and herself from dying anytime soon.

Over the years she had lost four friends thanks to the Reapers, losing more was not in the game plan and dying wasn't a part of her plan either. The N7 planned to do her very best not to put her lover or her friends through a similar circumstance nor would she allow them to put her in one.

Ghost chuckled at her question. "Well Gallick, Carson, Kar, Brad and now Darian are having a laugh at my expense. I can handle reporters well enough but once I get out of here they know I'll be hounded and can't stop making jokes or laughing about it." He said.

Shepard chuckled, it sounded like something the five would be doing and something her friends had done as well. "Val and Whitney are perturbed at me for almost dying. I've received a daily scolding from both of them so I don't want to hear about how close of call I had, I know trust me." The purple eyed N7 joked.

"What about Grissom?" Shepard quizzed.

The Drell medic was a stoic man who could be very serious when it came to his patients but gentle all the same. He also didn't lack humor though that seemed to be how Ghost's entire squad was, he wasn't loud like Brad or Kar but he hit you with quick witted one liners leaving his target speechless and everyone else laughing.

"He shook his head at me and told me he expected this to happen sooner or later. Can you believe that? It's like he doesn't think I can take care of myself." Ghost said in mock seriousness.

"Well if recent events are anything to go by, you know hitting a guard at the casino hard enough to cause way too much blood making you have to rush and then nearly getting yourself killed by jumping into the Presidium Lake to dodge a bomb going off then I'd say he's right. You really can't take care of yourself." The redhead joked.

"Traitor. I was hoping for support but nooo. Shepard has to be a smartass." The purple eyed N7 retorted in a childish manor.

Shepard gave a laugh enjoying the small banter with her fellow N7 and war survivor. He was a good guy and never lacked jokes despite everything he had gone through, then again she was smiling and laughing alongside him even though she had recently been completely stressed the hell out thanks to the war.

_I guess we both are getting the best kind of revenge on the Reapers and Cerberus, _Shepard thought, _we're both soaking up all the good we can with our friends and loved ones, taking in as much as we can and more to get rid of all the pain we had felt._

Although Ghost liked to tease and joke around a lot even in serious situations he had good qualities of being a leader. He could inspire his team, he knew when to be serious and when humor was needed to lighten the mood and he created a bond with each of the men under his command.

If the rumors about him being opted in as the next human Spectre were true the redhead would definitely give him support if he wanted it. The same went for Garrus if he wanted to become one as well though the way things looked he and Tali were going to be focusing more on helping people rebuild their homeworlds then anything else.

"What about Tara?" She asked noticing a lack of mention to her name.

The purple eyed warrior let out a sigh, "She's…she's been at my side every day so far, only reason she isn't here now is because I had Grissom slip her medication to make her fall asleep. Wouldn't leave my side despite nearly passing out every second 'cause she wouldn't go to sleep, haven't seen her so shaken up in a long time." He explained.

"It's understandable."

He nodded in agreement to the commanders words. "Yeah…" He rubbed the back of his head his hood covering where he rubbed. "Mortality has a funny way of really showing you what's important and what you've failed to do before the lights go out. I guess I'm lucky my lights were jump started back on."

"…Yeah." Shepard knew the truth of those words. That final decision to destroy the Reapers had really been eye opening to how important her friends and Kasumi were to her and how she had failed to tell Kasumi the truth.

How she had failed to save the lives of other important people in her life and how she was going to damn others to death because of her decision all because of a gut feeling that the A.I. thing had been looking for self-preservation.

Luck was the only reason she, the Geth and EDI were all still alive and that was something the N7 reminded herself of every day to ensure she never forgot the sacrifices made or the ones she had almost made that only didn't end so bad because of sheer luck.

Never again did she want to be involved in a decision involving the ruthless calculus of war where billions of lives were resting on the shoulders of her decision. It was a burden she was no longer willing to bear now that she was given a second chance at life, peace and happiness, especially now that she had Kasumi.

Her thief and the life she wanted to have with her didn't involve billions of lives resting on her shoulders and she doubted Kasumi would let her live a life like that. The lithe thief wouldn't stand for everyone throwing the weight back on the N7 and if she had to Shepard was sure Kasumi would kidnap her and find a hideaway somewhere where no one could find them.

If there were people who understood what those kinds of choices had done to the commander on emotional, physical and mental levels it would be her squad and they were tired of war and politics the same as Shepard.

Thane had once told her that there came a time when a warrior had to rest from war and conflict, it hadn't been her time but it had been his when they had spoken before the coup. Now Shepard believed her time as a warrior was coming to an end, like Javik she was interested to see what peace was like.

They were both warriors who had only ever known war and fighting, to finally have a chance at peace without having to die to achieve it was not unheard of for soldiers but it was a rarity for most.

Definitely a rarity for soldiers like Javik and herself.

"So is the rumor about the Spectre candidacy true?" Shepard asked trying to steer her thoughts and the conversation back on a brighter path.

He nodded. "Yeah, well sort of."

"Sort of?" She asked in return.

"I've already told him no." She raised her eyebrows at him. "Don't get me wrong it would be a huge honor and I know I wouldn't have to leave my guys behind…but I've got other promises to take care of. If I said yes to him and I made it as one then I wouldn't be able to retire as early as I plan to and fulfill those promises." He explained.

It was a good reason in Shepard's opinion, he had other commitments to his friends that had existed long before becoming war heroes and she understood wanting to retire early to fulfill promises. "I understand."

"Plus I heard that you had to fill out reports directly to the Council and I don't see that working out, I'm pretty sure we'd clash constantly or I'd just shut the comm off on them." The purple eyed N7 said.

"Don't you already fill out reports to Hackett?" She asked.

"Well yeah but Hackett understands who we are, he knows we can be serious when need be but if seriousness isn't needed then we give each other and anyone around us shit." Ghost shrugged, "The old man doesn't care as long as we don't do anything unethical and get the job done. Even if we crack jokes in front of a camera he doesn't care. I've seen a reporter ask him about us and his response was, and I quote, "That's just Ghost and his crew.""

"You're probably right. The Council and I didn't exactly get along when I had to file reports on the first Normandy." Shepard said wearing a smirk.

_I should have shut the comm off on them, that would have been a bit gratifying after everything they said then, the accusations when we fought the Collectors and then not lending a hand during the war until I saved their lives, minus Sparatus who gave me a place to start then._

Although he did help then the negative attitude he showed on her first tour was the least bit helpful.

"So as I said, a huge honor to be considered as one but not an honor I'm taking this time. I plan on retiring early so I can give Tara a bunch of little blue children and be around long enough for them to remember me." Ghost said.

Shepard smiled fully at his statement, she wasn't sure when or if she and Kasumi would adopt or have kids by other means but thinking about Ghost retiring to start a family made her think about it.

Thanks to her vivid imagination she could see the secluded beach house as the sun was setting, she and Kasumi were holding hands as they walked along bare footed and her lover without her hood on. They were smiling blissful smiles as their four kids ran around in front of them playing tag or some game of that sort.

In this imaginary thought Shepard saw two little Asari both smiling and laughing their bright eyes gleaming as they played with the other two human girls. One of the human girls had a striking resemblance to Kasumi facially with the same beautiful eyes but longer black hair all the way down to her waist. The other had long red hair to the middle of her back, freckles on her cheeks and sky blue eyes resembling Shepard herself.

All of them were smiling and laughing not having to know the hardships of the war their parents endured alongside the rest of the galaxy. The little girl who resembled Kasumi tagged the thief who promptly tagged Shepard and ran to catch up with the kids and thus started a battle between her and the others as she tried to tag one of them.

She nearly got Kasumi who then ordered their little band of girls to tackle their mom to the ground, which they did managing to get her down onto the ground as they all laughed, parents included. In retaliation she ordered her girly horde to get Mama who had crouched down next to her only seconds before, they did tackling her down as well bringing them all into fits of laughs and giggles.

Their girly horde ran off continuing where they had left off in the game minus their parents who sat up and began watching the sunset. Kasumi readjusted to sit between the redhead's legs leaning back into her completely relaxed and smiling a happy smile. They kissed one another passionately then were soon joined by their daughters who sat in an array of positions next to them.

After the sun finally set they all got up and both Kasumi and Shepard picked up two of their daughters so they could head home. The thief put one of the Asari on her shoulders and held the one who bore resemblance to the thief herself in her arms as Shepard did the same only the one in her arms was the one who had resemblance to the N7 herself.

Shepard allowed a smile to take over her features as the thoughts left her; it was a great picture and dream to aim for when they settled down. She didn't want to start it soon because the commander wanted to be there to witness the growth of all the children they had whether it would just be two or if it would really be four.

_I'll have to tell Kasumi about it and see what she thinks,_ Shepard thought. Her thief would appreciate the thought and possibly make a quip about the redhead reading her books.

"Thinking of settling down and starting a family as well I see." Ghost teased.

As she smirked the redhead gave a small shrug. "You aren't the only one who wants to retire early."

"True enough. Still you and I probably have a few more years of work thanks to the Reapers mucking everything up." He said. He was right, there was no way Shepard could just sit and let everyone else work on repairs as she soaked up the sun. A selfish part of her wanted to steal away Kasumi and do so but neither of them could do that.

Hearing Gallick back at the casino talk about his wife had stirred both women to do their best to help others find their loved ones or at the least find some peace. The planets and the people of the galaxy were both in equal need of help right now and the N7 planned to help until she could walk away knowing things wouldn't crumble.

That meant a lot of preparations would be needed to be made but those would come as time passed.

"Any word on Cerberus or Terra Firma movements?" Shepard asked.

He nodded slightly as he looked back to the data-pad. "Yeah those bastards are scurrying around trying to hide but Hackett has been sending other teams after them. I've got Carson working on tracking movements and passing any helpful information to Hackett."

"Sounds like you're going to be busy when you get out of here." She said.

"I don't mind it; it'll keep me from being hounded by the reporters at least." The purple eyed N7 responded with his usual smirk.

With a laugh Shepard stood up deciding to go check on Kasumi and let Ghost continue going through his reports un-interrupted. "Good luck to you Ghost and take care of yourself."

Ghost smirked and nodded. "I will though I'm sure we'll meet again eventually, hopefully this time without a political conspiracy involving radicals attacking refugee camps, our friends, and trying to assassinate an Ambassador." He said.

"Agreed. Try not to get hurt, we both know you have trouble taking care of yourself." Shepard teased before walking out. The doors closing cut off Ghost's shout of defiance making the redhead smile as she headed to the room where Kasumi was being kept.

As she entered she found it empty minus the thief lying in the bed sleeping by the looks of it so Shepard grabbed a chair and set it down next to the bed. The broken rose now had a second red rose that the N7 had gotten and both were in a small vase together.

Shepard sat down in the chair letting out a soft sigh as she did allowing her body to relax once more. She intertwined her hand with her lovers and kissed the back of Kasumi's before setting them back down on the bed. _So this is what it feels like to be on the opposite end, _she thought.

All her life she usually was the one in the hospital bed waiting to wake up with others hovering over her when she did. Kasumi and her crew had been the last ones to have to wait on her as she came back from her near death experience courtesy of Harbinger nearly killing her and the explosions of the red tube.

Now she had to wait for her loving thief to come back around so she could see her smile, hear her laugh and stare into her stunning eyes again. It was torture having to wait but she would do it regardless, Kasumi was worth waiting for and when the wait was finally over everything would fall back into place.

For a little while Shepard sat quietly letting all her thoughts go as she listened to the soft rhythmic breaths coming from her sleeping lover. She allowed the warmth of her hand and the feel of her palm on her own swarm her nerves taking over most of her body at the recollection of Kasumi's hands exploring her body.

The gentle touch she had, the way her fingers and hands explored her body memorizing every inch of her yet finding excitement in going over each part no matter how well she knew them. Her soft warm lips pressing down her neck and across her collarbone as they made their way gently down her body.

Warmth began to rise in the redhead at the thoughts, _why can't she wake up already? I miss her damn it and imagining her touch is far less pleasing than actually feeling it._ Although her vivid imagination and memories allowed her to essentially feel all those feelings again as if they were happening, Shepard really wanted to physically feel them.

_I miss her touch, her smile, her expression filled eyes and beautiful face without the hood shadowing it._ Shepard sighed lifting up the thief's limp hand intertwined with her own and placing it against her cheek, _but above all else I miss hearing her voice and having her at my side every day._

Whether it was quips, serious talks, loving conversations, battle flirts or the sounds of pleasure escaping Kasumi, her voice was dearly missed by Shepard, her presence even more so. As the commander sat with the back of Kasumi's hand against her cheek she felt the need to curl up next to the thief and hold her until she woke.

_That would definitely end in getting sedated by Chakwas or Miranda that's for sure._ Lacking the want to be sedated led the redhead to stay in place with the small contact she had right now. It would suffice until her lover awoke and then until they were able to share a bed again.

"I miss you so much Kasumi. If this happened only to show me how life without you would be like then there is no way I'm letting you go." Shepard whispered softly pressing another kiss to the back of her lover's hand.

"Ana?" A tired voice quietly called. Kasumi's limp hand suddenly began holding more tightly onto Shepard's. The commander met her lover's tired sedated gaze and nearly jumped out of her seat and onto the bed to hold her close.

Reluctantly though Shepard kept her cool standing up slowly and moving closer to the thief. She planted a kiss on her lovers amazingly soft lips then backed away to look her in the eyes, "I'm here love." She replied.

Kasumi smiled a tired sedated smile. "I love you."

Her heart began to sing once more hearing her voice and the words come out of her lover. This was very reminiscent of when she had woken up the day after their night of love making and that familiarity warmed Shepard's heart. "Watashi wa anata no mono." The redhead said lovingly.

"I think I figured out why you travel in threes." The thief mused tiredly.

A laugh escaped Shepard as she wrapped Kasumi in a hug. Her lover was okay and things were going to get back to normal very soon.

Shepard felt genuine glee at that thought and couldn't wait to catch up on lost time shared with her love.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Carpe Diem

Kasumi sat quietly reading one of her favorite paperback novels next to the artificial fireplace the apartment had. It was getting closer to night and for the time being the thief was alone enjoying the soft serene music she had playing off her omni-tool with her favorite candle burning nearby.

A lot of things happened the day she had been knocked out on her side of things and while she was unconscious but the serenity Kasumi had now made it easy to forget. _I'm really going to need to spend some time in the combat simulator, _the thief thought, _getting pummeled shouldn't have been so easy for them to do to me. I was a bit complacent, not going to happen again but keeping my skills sharp by using the combat arena is a good idea, maybe even take Shep with me to make it a date._

She smiled at the thought, the last time they had been it together the commander had put the stipulation of no medi-gel only to end up getting hit. At the time Kasumi had made a joke about her getting old and not being able to keep up with her agile nature, after the war ended and when Shepard finally woke up the thief found out it was because the redhead was checking her out that she got wounded.

Yes it was quite possible the same instance could happen again where her lover got distracted mid-fight but that was okay, in the combat arena that wouldn't be costly other than getting bruised and there would be some personal enjoyment for Kasumi being the cause of distraction. The first time she hadn't been able to revel in her lovers eyes being more focused on her than the battle, making sure she wouldn't get hurt this time would be important.

_Saving her while she is distracted would also be an entertaining outcome,_ Kasumi thought with a smile, _the playful teasing I could get out of that…I would take the lead in out flirt battles without a doubt._

The last few days since she awoke had left her in a deficit against the redhead who was taking a lot of enjoyment in being able to take the lead. Right now Kasumi was a bit helpless and wouldn't be able to take the lead anytime soon but if they did go to the combat simulator and her idea did come to fruition then she could turn it around.

_I only have myself to blame for losing the lead, _she reminded herself as she turned the page in her book. _Getting myself hurt and being unconscious for a few days really worried Ana. I can't say I blame her for the teasing, it's a way to make light of what could have been disastrous easing her nerves as well as not letting me live scaring her down._ Kasumi had found a sort of Zen in the peaceful environment of the apartment but she did not forget what happened, not by a longshot.

She could still recall the event in perfect clarity which wasn't comforting whatsoever.

First thing to go awry when she was out buying another red rose to give to Shepard before heading out to actually start helping people was all comms in the area going down. _A good idea on their part, keeping me from warning Shep or the others, _the thief conceded. She didn't enjoy the outcome it had but she had to give credit where it was due, _although it was a bit obvious when they did it._ Thanks to all the people around at the time shutting down comms became completely obvious when people in the area lost all connection to their calls.

Kasumi had checked her own right away and found that it too was down, it was obvious at that point that something bad was about to happen. Immediately instincts kicked in and her eyes began darting around searching for who could be the one behind doing it, the comm jammer that they had used was only short ranged.

It was the only kind of jammer available with all the tech that got fried, long range jammers were either still wrecked, in military hands or on the black market costing more credits than they had before, _and they were damn expensive before the war._

Short ranged comm jammers were a bit old school compared to the long range kind; they could only jam their target if the person jamming was in the area of said target. Because of this the only people who really used the short ranged jammers were those working in tandem with others and those who could blend into an area like Thane or a smart thief like her.

This made things for the user difficult if they couldn't blend in and it made finding them easier for people like Kasumi who was able to find the shiftiest looking people staring right at her.

There was a high possibility that they hadn't tried to hide at all, definitely with what they had ended up doing anyways, either way their bad intentions for her were quite obvious.

Whether it was the N7 tags around her neck or the fact that civilians had seen her around helping after the war ended that caused them all to listen to her when she ordered everyone to find cover in the marketplace was unknown but in hindsight it didn't really matter.

They had listened and that had helped to save more lives than not listening would have caused. _I guess being seen in the news dancing with Shep and kissing her probably helped too._

Gunfire had exploded on the scene wounding the present C-Sec officers and stray rounds hitting civilians. Whoever had planned the attack had really thought through everything and they were gunning for her not caring who was caught in the crosshairs, _the cliché villains,_ Kasumi mused.

Almost every person the Normandy team had run into from the SR-1 to both tours of the SR-2 fit some sort of villain cliché, you had the Illusive Man and his power hungry psychosis, Saren the self-righteous villain who believed the bad things he was doing would save more lives than there were alive in the galaxy.

_Then again if I look at Shep's crew I'm sure there would be clichés among us, Jack the tough woman with a sensitive side, me the thief with a sense of honor, Mordin the mad scientist, Garrus her cool badass partner, Miranda the tough woman with a sensitive side._

Kasumi couldn't help but laugh to herself at giving Miranda the same title as Jack. She wasn't sure what, if anything, was going on between the two but she knew if she were to tell them they were tough women with sensitive sides they would probably smash her around to give her a sensitive side.

_That sounds a bit dirty now that I think about it, _she shrugged, _Jack has said worse._

Being armed helped out a lot to take down the goons who were simply opening fire on the people but that was when everything came crashing down. _Opening fire on civilians after everyone had survived the Reapers,_ Kasumi shook her head, _it was damn despicable and I couldn't just stay in cover taking shots at them. I had to get them out of there, the thought was a good one but I didn't think it through well enough. No flashbangs or team to help me out, just me against a bunch of guys trying to kill me. Great idea Kasumi, great idea, _she scolded herself.

Not wanting to let more innocents die after the war had ended Kasumi moved into action helping fallen civilians in the line of fire up and covering them as they moved to cover.

By that time the men had closed the distance and it became a close quarter's fight, her agile and flexible body had helped out a lot to keep most at bay or out cold when she had the chance to knock them out. It had been going really well at first but the numbers were clearly stacked in their favor, she was soon surrounded and lacking three hundred and sixty degree vision she hadn't been able to see all the attacks coming.

To be fair Kasumi had managed to knock out and kill a few stalling long enough for the civilians to find cover or run before something smashed into the back of her head.

Everything was severely fuzzy after that minus the severe amount of pain that was erupting over her body until finally in her fogged vision she saw a gun aimed at her. She closed her eyes at that expecting a searing round to pierce through her body or head to cause an excruciating pain or a short quick pain that ended everything. In this short time Kasumi found herself thinking about Shepard and the future they could have shared.

A mournful smile made its way onto her face; _I really thought that was it for me. There I was on the ground getting kicked around about to be shot or killed and the only thing I could think about was Ana and the dreams she had for us. Living on the beach with her, having a few kids…it was a beautiful dream…beautiful like her. _

The thoughts served as a quick blast of joy and heartache all in one package knowing that she had broken her promise to not force her lover to find out what life without her was like preventing them from experiencing such a great dream.

Her only joy in it was it felt real as everything involving Shepard did, it felt in those last moments as if she had been able to live it all and in a way it was comforting. Peace of mind had been achieved in what felt like her final moments, her only regrets had been breaking the promise and causing her lover more heartache than she ever wished to commit.

_And that was a big regret going into the next life with, _Kasumi thought as she turned the page in her book, _that would have caused her so much pain stacked on the heartache of losing Mordin, Thane, Legion and Ashley. I couldn't bear to leave her like that._

Yet striking a deal with the greater power felt utterly useless at that point, her lover had already struck her promise and succeeded so what was left for the thief to ask for? One more chance at a dream and life they wanted to live? One more chance to give Shepard the happiness the thief was able to give her by loving her and not cause her more heartache?

Would asking even work?

Kasumi smiled softly, _the better question was why wait to ask in the first place? One more chance was damn worth asking for and if that was my only way out then I was going to take it so I could see her again. _On a whim Kasumi took that chance to ask for one more shot because that was a damn good thing to ask for and something she wanted more than anything.

There was a gunshot yet the thief had felt no pain other than what pain she had from the beating she received, hazarding a gander she cracked her eyes open and found the man who had been aiming a gun at her dead on the ground a pool of blood forming under him.

All of the others had begun scattering like chickens screaming something she couldn't hear as another group of people who seemed familiar went chasing after them shouting what sounded akin to curses and death threats. Whether it was through some sort of divine providence granting her another shot or just sheer luck that someone was saving her was an unknown.

Either way they had her thanks.

Purple eyes peering down on her gave Kasumi an answer to who had saved her, _only one guy I know with purple eyes. Ghost the moment killer and last minute savior._ How he knew what was going on didn't matter so much as him showing up to save her right at the last second.

Sometimes better late than never was a great thing.

His lips had been moving but she couldn't hear what he said, the pain in her head and across her chest and abdomen was too much to comprehend anything else but the injuries she received. The only grace she had aside from being saved and alive was that she didn't have any wounds from being shot, if she had been it was likely she would have been bleeding out badly.

_Then again the damage I learned I had afterwards was pretty bad. My ribs broken, my face and the back of my head being bloodied, possibility of brain damage for a time, probably the worst set of physical injuries I had. If the worst had happened being shot might not have been so bad._ Not being able to remember Shepard, their friends or any of the emotional ties she held with them would have been worse than death.

Kasumi shuddered at the mere thought of losing all the emotions she felt for Shepard and their friends, especially the commander though. Granted had it happened she wouldn't know any better but knowing now what could have happened and the pain it would have caused her lover made her glad to have an undamaged mind.

_Thankfully that didn't happen, _she let out a sigh of relief. Such a terrible thing hadn't happened, she still loved Shepard and their friends like the family they were.

She could remember asking Ghost to give Shepard the now broken rose that had found its way into her hand sometime when she was on the ground and then tell her sorry for breaking it but everything went dark after that.

Everything else after that was hard to recall including what happened in her unconscious mind or the dreams that she had experienced while out cold, if any actually happened for that matter. Waking up the first time to be put back under was her first memory after the event and then waking up the last time with Shepard in the room.

She hadn't been caught up on all the goings of everything that happened until the day after waking up mostly because she was still highly medicated and tired to comprehend a lot. _Doc and her sedatives always have a way of keeping you too tired to fight back, _Kasumi mused. Instead the two lovers had spent time quietly together in as close of proximity to one another as they could only sharing words when jokes or loving words came to mind.

It was a great way to recover having her redheaded beauty there next to her holding her hand and kissing the back of it now and then. _Her soft lips still make me quake, _the thief smiled as a small shiver ran up her spine remembering the woman's lips pressing against her.

To have nearly passed from this world without seeing her smile again or her beautiful sky blue eyes would have been a terrible thing so whatever had allowed her to stay whether divine power, luck, or Ghost being diligent, each had her utmost thanks.

There was much the thief still wanted to do in this life involving her Shep before passing on, definitely including but not limited to those dreams. The incident was a reminder to seize each present moment they had with one another and never hold back for tomorrow because tomorrow didn't always come.

Honestly the incident shouldn't have needed to be a reminder considering they had lived through a war where that was the day to day motto but life was full of lessons and this most recent reminder wouldn't fall on deaf ears.

They had both made a silent agreement to never take their moments together for granted. Not that they did before but sometimes even when you were taking in each experience with both eyes open you could forget to allow your other senses to take it in to create a more livelier memory.

Being stuck in the hospital had disallowed them from being able to do certain things to show each other how much their love for one another had grown by being separated by such terrible circumstances. Instead of doing that and getting interrupted, and in huge trouble_,_ they chose to save it for a time when they weren't in such a public place, like back at the apartment two days from the moment Kasumi woke up.

Today to be exact.

In the meantime Kasumi had been caught up on all the events that had gone on that day and to say she was a bit upset was an understatement. _So much excitement, an old grudge come back to haunt Shep trying to kill her and her friends, an attack on the apartment, an attempt on the ambassadors life._ Kasumi sighed, _sounds like something out of one of my books and I didn't even get to experience it._

She felt remorse over the loss of lives at the refugee camps considering the men who attacked her had gone and blown themselves up at the camp, if she hadn't been taken out she could have stopped the atrocity from happening. The unfortunate truth was it didn't go down like that and people had died, there was nothing she could do about it now except hope to do better if there was a next time.

The apartment had its big picture window back but the overall state of the furniture and walls was still in need of repairs._ Ghost and Shepard sure have a way of getting in trouble, _the thief mused. Her purple eyed friend had nearly gotten killed himself by saving the ambassador and had been stuck in the hospital the same as her though his was a bit more voluntary from what Shepard said.

Ghost had found himself in popular news thanks to his heroic dive into the Presidium Lake to save Osoba from the bomb, _another thing I missed out on._ Granted hearing Darian and Tara in a sorrowful rage and suffocating sadness would have been terrible but seeing him dive out a window with an explosion behind him only proved how alike the event had been to the books she read.

Kasumi had gone on many adventures over the years but never had they had the qualities of her sappy romance stories or the crime action novels she read, mostly because she was the best damn thief in the galaxy. _If I got caught all the time having giant shootouts or leaving behind clues on how to find me I wouldn't be here leisurely reading a book. I'd probably be in jail or dead if things went really bad._

She had missed out on another crazy adventure, the first being the clone of Shepard which was definitely something that the thief expected to find in one of her books instead of real life.

The Suicide Mission and the Reaper War were too crazy to be in a fictional novel where a clone and plot by two ghosts of the past to kill Shepard, her crew, and the ambassador was in a different league of crazy that would make for an entertaining story in the future. _And I missed out on both, _Kasumi sighed but then stopped and smirked, _but in the end I stole the real prize._

It was true she hadn't gotten to be there with Shepard through the clone business or this latest weird adventure but her heart now belonged to the commander and she had unknowingly stolen her Shep's heart but now held it with pride.

So despite missing out on the crime action side of her novels she did succeed in experiencing the sappy romance side of her novels and to be honest she enjoyed those a lot better anyways. That was probably a bit biased yet Kasumi didn't care, biased or not falling in love with Shepard was one of the best things to happen to her after losing Keiji.

_I wonder when she'll be back?_ Kasumi pondered as she turned the page of her book, _I knew meeting up with Ghost to go meet Hackett was going to take a while but with the apartment empty I was really hoping to spend alone time with her._

Ghost had stayed in the hospital even after being cleared by Grissom to stay hidden from reporters a little longer but he had left today, or was forced to leave against his will in his words, and he and Shepard were meant to meet up with Hackett about something. Kasumi assumed a new directive for the purple eyed N7 and something similar for the redheaded N7 only not sending her out on some mission.

If the thief had to guess she would say it would be diplomatic stuff or at the least telling her that she needed to become more involved. Shepard had told the thief that staying out of the spotlight wasn't very possible anymore but the commander assumed there was still time before having to go in headfirst to what was going on the diplomatic side of things.

_I hope she is right, I know keeping her out of it forever is impossible and if I'm honest with myself I'm hoping we can get the Relays up soon so repairs can be made on a galactic level. I wonder if anyone out there thinks we survived or not. _With no word from the Sol System it was safe to assume everyone outside of it would be trying to get their Relays along with their comm buoys active again or replaced in the case of destroyed comm buoys.

Still despite wanting to get out there to help others the selfish part of Kasumi wanted to steal away Shepard from all the troubles of the galaxy. She didn't want to see her weighed down by everyone throwing their troubles at her like they had during the war. If it hadn't been for the redhead doing everything to get the races on the same page and sending Hackett more help than it was likely none of what had happened thus far would have happened.

The last thing Kasumi wanted was to become a burden or to allow anyone else to burden her lover, _she's already gone through so much for everyone ensuring that we could all live while not expecting to live to see all her hard work pay off. She shouldn't have to be the one who carries the burden anymore,_ the thief thought.

Of course the thief knew it would not be as easy as saying that, when it came to politicians nothing was that simple. The least they could do to show their gratefulness would be to stop burdening her emotionally and mentally and not be so blind, deaf and dumb because of their unwillingness to accept facts brought to them by someone who was trying to stop a huge threat to their existence.

Deep down the thief knew Shepard would never call her a burden and she hadn't ever felt one in all honesty but she wanted to remain vigilant so she never caused her lover any kind of stress. She wanted to be what her Shep had always been for her, a person that when you were with them all the stresses of the past, present and future would disappear leaving you in a peaceful bliss where nothing could harm you.

Kasumi wanted nothing more than for her Shep to be able to get home safely and then leave all her stresses behind finding safety and tranquility in her arms or just by being in her vicinity. In short she wanted their love to be as strong as it was and stronger for the rest of their lives.

The peace and happiness the thief saw in the redhead's eyes every time she entered the apartment with all of their friends making themselves at home or when they were together holding hands, kissing, touching, making love, teasing each other or their friends was something special Kasumi didn't ever want Shepard to lose.

_And I won't let her lose it no matter what._

As she turned the page to the end of the chapter the doors to the apartment slid open revealing Shepard wearing her N7 hoodie and blue jeans. She took in the dimmed lights of the apartment searching for the source of the serene music and likely the smell of the candle before her eyes finally landed on Kasumi.

A blissful smile made its way onto the commander's face when they locked eyes so Kasumi gave her one in return as her heart pumped a bit stronger. Shepard sauntered over unzipping her sweater and tying it around her waist leaving her in her tank top and jeans, "Hey Shep. Any exciting adventures today?" Kasumi asked closing her book after memorizing the chapter she was on.

She gave a soft chuckle as she stopped in front of the thief, "Not unless you find debriefing on current events and figuring out next steps exciting." Shepard responded. Kasumi stood up after setting her book down on the nearby small table and met her lover's lips with her own.

Shepard's hands found their way up to her purple hood pulling it back and undoing her ponytail with practiced ease, "I missed you." The redhead breathed.

"And I missed you. Sappy romance novels just don't have the same effect as kissing you does." The thief said in a lighthearted manor. Her lover laughed her beautiful laugh then wrapped her arms around Kasumi's neck holding her close. "Long day huh?"

"You have no idea."

Kasumi kissed Shepard's cheek and relinquished her grip on the woman, albeit reluctantly for both parties. "Then let's head up to our room so you can relax."

"Are you…_propositioning _me?" Shepard queried a smirk on her face.

"Only if you want me too." Kasumi replied with a wink. She turned back around to grab her book and the candle to bring with them up to the room only to stop when a set of strong but gentle arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her softly back into the woman who she loved.

Velvet lips pressed against her bare neck moving up to her ear, "Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero."

"Since when do you know Latin?" Kasumi questioned in surprise. That saying was from the Roman poet Horace though Kasumi for the life of her couldn't remember exactly what he had written it in or when. It meant seize the day, put very little trust in tomorrow from what the thief could remember from one of her books and it held a lot meaning to her right now.

While she knew her lover was of the same mindset as she was of seizing the present day with one another it served two purposes in this moment. First was a reminder of what could have happened and telling Kasumi that neither her lover nor herself would hold back their feelings or take for granted the love they shared.

What had happened was too close to losing one another after falling in love that either wanted to get ever again and if fate would have it that one of them would die early then they were going to make the best of each damn day they were alive and together.

Tomorrow had never been a guarantee in life and most people forgot that, at least before the war that was the case but now it was an understanding not just between the two women, it was an understanding the whole galaxy had come to realize.

Between the two of them though Shepard was in a way making sure that they didn't forget how close they were from losing each other so they continued to take each moment they had with one another and make it a great memory that they would remember for years.

The second purpose was to inform the thief that yes Shepard wanted her to make her comment a proposition and yes she wanted to go do that now. When that realization hit Kasumi she blushed, _seize the moment and make it a reality right now. We may not have tomorrow. _That was the hint Shepard was giving and it was thanks to her knowledge on the saying that she was able to catch the hint. "I don't, just that saying. You're not the only one who reads old books." Shepard responded cheekily.

Kasumi chuckled leaning back into her lover and turning her head to meet her gorgeous sky blue eyes. "But I was the one who let you borrow my books." She retorted.

"Sappy romances included." Shepard teased.

"Hey they may be sappy but they are the good kind of sappy." Kasumi argued.

"Debatable."

"You can't debate about something you haven't read and despite giving you free reign of my entire bookshelf you never once read one of the romance novels. They are good books." She defended turning her head and crossing her arms over her chest.

Shepard smiled into her neck as she planted a kiss on it, "I love you Kasumi." She said tenderly.

The thief felt her heart begin to beat stronger than it had before; she brought her hands out from being crossed and grabbed the redhead's hands. Their banter was fun but there was something she wanted to do, "I love you Anastasia but…" Kasumi turned back to her with a smirk on her face, "Well." She patted the tops of her lovers hands hoping her smirk and the action would get her meaning across that she would have to let go if they were to go up to the bedroom.

Her sky blue eyed lover raised an eyebrow in confusion not catching the hint at all, "Well what?"

A bigger smirk tugged onto her face, "Well I did make a proposition about going up to the bedroom to relax, didn't I? If I'm to make good on that promise you're going to have to let me go for the moment." Kasumi nudged Shepard's nose with her own, "And I do recall you saying it was a long day so you must be tired and sore, maybe I can help you relieve some of those aches."

"And how do you plan to do that?" She queried a small smirk on her face.

"Grab that candle without burning yourself and walk with me up to the bedroom so I can show you." They shared a quick kiss then the thief grabbed her book keeping her music on her omni-tool still playing while Shepard grabbed the candle before setting off to the bedroom upstairs. Once they made it to the room Kasumi locked the door behind them as Shepard placed the burning candle on the nightstand taking the time to light the other.

Kasumi dimmed the lights to the same dimmed it was when they had made love after the Casino job, _setting the mood again, _she smirked turning around to find her redheaded lover untying her sweater with her back turned to her. "So how do you plan to relieve my aches?"

"Telling you would ruin the surprise but I suppose I have to give some sort of guidance to do it, take your tank top off as well and lay on your stomach. I'll be right back." Kasumi said heading into the bathroom where the assortment of massage oils were. After the war when they had cleaned the apartment up she had found destroyed bottles of massage oils so she saw it fit to replace them.

She came out of the bathroom to find Shepard laying on her stomach her back completely bare, her head resting on one side and wearing a pair of shorts instead of the jeans she had been previously wearing. Kasumi made her way onto the bed straddling the redhead's lower half, "Have you ever given a massage before?" Shepard asked.

"No, never really thought about it until I replaced your massage oils." She responded grabbing one of the bottles.

"I have massage oils?"

"Yeah, well you did but they got destroyed so I replaced them." Kasumi explained.

"I never bought…oh right, Sanders had an overnight bag from when Anderson owned this place." Shepard said.

Kasumi stopped herself short of doing anything with the oils as the images of Anderson and Kahlee Sanders together passed through her mind causing her to shudder and banish those thoughts to the deepest abysses of her mind. "I…could have gone without knowing that." The thief said.

Shepard gave a light laugh, "You and me both love, you and me both." Kasumi pushed all the thoughts away and began applying the oil to her lovers back. "So if you've never given a massage before, why try now? I feel a bit special to be your first."

"If I'm honest I really just wanted free reign to touch your body." She admitted a sheepish smirk on her face as she began spreading the oil with her hands. The kind she had didn't cause there to be a greasy feel and it was apparently healthy for the skin, _I guess I'll have to give Sanders credit there. _Kasumi imagined trying to approach the subject with the woman then shook her head, _maybe not the best idea. Talk about awkward._

"You could have said something." Shepard laughed.

"I did, that's why we're here." The thief said matter of factly. She slid her hands up the redheads back following along her spine feeling all the muscles in the woman's back relax. _So well-toned,_ Kasumi analyzed never having the privilege to stare this long at her back. Sure she could trace her muscles with her hands with expert precision in the dark but staring down at it was a different story.

She began moving her hands with practiced precision across her lovers back massaging and going over all the muscles and few scars she had. Her warm soft currently oiled skin felt marvelous under the palms of her hands, _I can feel her relaxing under my hands, and shiver ever so slightly as I glide them across her body._

Kasumi smiled as she noticed a small blush on Shepard's cheek coupled with a smile her eyes remaining shut in a peaceful bliss. _I love her smile; I wonder what she is thinking about? She might not be thinking of anything but the blush tells me otherwise, _she leaned down as her hands glided up the sides of the woman planting a kiss right below her ear. "Thinking a pleasurable thought?" She queried quietly.

"That noticeable?" Her lover asked in return.

"Only a little." She allowed her fingers to trace across the very edge of Shepard's breasts being the only part she could touch for now without making things a little uncomfortable. She sucked on the spot where she kissed letting her tongue tease and taste her skin as she did. "Care to share?" She asked when she stopped.

"At this rate I'm going to turn over and show you. You drive me to the edge just through your touch normally; this is relaxing and driving me almost off that edge at the same time." Shepard responded.

The thief smiled victoriously, "Good." She kissed the redhead on the cheek before sitting back up to continue her massage. "This stuff is meant to help relax you and is good for your skin so all in all it's a win-win, I get to touch you and you get to relax."

"Will I get to touch you at all? I don't want this to be too one-sided. I do desire to touch you as well you know." Shepard reminded.

"This isn't one-sided; I'm doing this because I want to Ana. I know you want to touch me as well and I plan on doing more with you but for the time being allow yourself time to relax as I take pleasure in touching you and helping you relax." Kasumi said.

Her lover sighed, "Okay. I just didn't want you to feel like I was too tired to…" She trailed off not finishing her sentence.

"Love me?" Kasumi asked. Shepard nodded. Kasumi ran her hands back up her lovers back resting them on her shoulders as she bent forward kissing the redhead on the cheek again, "Ana I can see the love you hold for me in your eyes, I feel it every time you hold me like a warm blanket on a cold night, every time you kiss me my heart soars. Never think that I think you don't love me because I never would. I unknowingly stole your heart but I know it well now."

She smiled back and gave a short nod of agreement to leave those thoughts behind. "You were reading a sappy romance before I got back, weren't you?"

"One of my favorites actually but that isn't where those words came from. Those are real feelings I get by being with you and never forget that." Kasumi stated.

"I won't, my love." Kasumi gave her another kiss on the cheek before sitting back up and continuing where she left off. "What is it about? The book you were reading I mean."

The thief smiled to herself, "It's a smutty novel, full of sexual encounters between Elcor and Hanar." She noticed the N7 shudder at a disturbing image granted by the statement which caused Kasumi to laugh at her expense.

It was a sort of payback for telling her that the truth of where the oils had initially come from thus giving her the image of two people she really didn't want an image of. "Kasumi." The woman chided.

"That makes us even for the Anderson and Sanders image you gave me. It is about this woman nicknamed the Champion in a world where magic is real, elves, dwarves and these big horned guys live in the world alongside humans though they are not all of equal status."

She began to explain the book in detail knowing the plot and characters by heart. There were actually two versions of the story, the original focusing on the events going on that the Champion was involved with and the one she loved which was a side story to the book placing more emphasis on the romance between the Champion and her elven lover.

The Champion was a human woman who was a mage the same as the female elf only the elf practiced a forbidden type of magic and the two didn't see eye to eye on that aspect. There weren't any arguments between the two or anything of that sort, the Champion was truly only worried that something bad would happen to the elf.

Her elven lover before they were lovers was a bit dense and had very bad people skills saying things first then questioning if she should say them out loud then quietly telling herself to shut up sometimes. It was cute in Kasumi's opinion and it made the character all the more lovable, the Champion felt the same way finding herself steadily falling in love with the innocent nature of the elf.

Truth be told the denseness and very bad people skills didn't really improve that much for the elf.

She always managed to find the positive side in everything no matter how dark things were and the Champion fell deeply in love, the elf had done the same though she wasn't sure the Champion had the same feelings being unable to tell how head over heels she was for her.

"They eventually do fall in love though and it becomes this very romantic loving sappy book." Kasumi finished.

"Does it end happily ever after?" Shepard asked a smile in her voice.

"Kind of…they don't separate but the Champion has to leave the city because of the circumstances that happen. They promise to stay in contact through letters and meet again though. The Champion reminds me of you, strong, caring, can make jokes, has bad luck and travels with interesting company." She explained. The thief let out a sigh as she stopped massaging her lovers back, "I see some of myself in the elf. To dense to realize what was in front of my face for so long then realized it and almost lost you. Then you came back and we almost lost what we had recently gained because of some crazy people."

_What a fool I was, so blind to life around me that I almost missed out on being able to fall in love with her._

Shepard turned over under Kasumi then sat up so they were staring each other in the eyes. "But we didn't lose each other, we still have each other and we always will." Her tone was firm the same as it had been when the thief found herself questioning if what they had was just a dream or reality.

The thief nodded in agreement, "You're right, the elf and I may have been dense but we both got to fall in love with an amazing woman. That's the best similarity and the only one I care about."

Kasumi couldn't argue on the N7s statement because she didn't want to. Worrying about the past would cause her to forget about the present moment which she was sharing with her bare chested lover.

The redhead smiled, "Definitely a sappy book." Kasumi mock pouted crossing her arms and turning her head away, her gentle lovers hand found her cheek cupping it and making her turn to face her. She was still smiling her beautiful smile, "But it does sound like a good one. Just not as good as the love we share."

There was no argument from the thief, the real feel of love was better than any fictional story she read, even if it was her favorite. "True, now lay back down. I have to get your chest." She said pushing the redhead gently back onto her back.

"Only if you take your tank top off too, I'm the only one without my shirt on and that is hardly fair." Her lover responded.

"You just want to stare at my chest." Kasumi retorted as she began taking off her tank top.

"And you just want to touch mine."

That was a true statement but could the commander really blame her? Her bosom was perfect in the thief's eyes and she planned to make the best of having free reign over touching her. The redhead was definitely going to be filled with desire by the time she was finished, _that's if I actually get to finish._

It was quite possible Shepard would pull her down into a kiss at some point stopping Kasumi from taking pleasure in touching her and teasing her at the same time. She tossed her tank top to the floor then undid her bra giving it the same treatment before grabbing the massage oil again.

She suddenly had an idea that made her grin in pleasure; she took the bottle of oil and turned it upside down over her own chest getting a decent amount on it. Shepard smiled a satisfied smile as she sat back up and brought her hands to the thief's chest spreading the oil across her chest and stomach as Kasumi took the oil that was still left over on her hands and began rubbing it onto her lover's shoulders and upper chest.

Their lips met as their hands explored never once messing up the others rhythm, _her lips…_Longing filled the thief as if she hadn't been able to kiss her in years causing her to take in every second of it as she poured all her feelings into it. There was a yearning she could feel through the kiss coming from Shepard and it only served to spark the inferno of desire in Kasumi.

The need to pin her down and show her how much she had missed this while being unconscious and how her love and desires seeping through the kiss made her feel that way was becoming overpowering. Of course she knew why Shepard had such a strong feeling of desire and love right now, unlike Kasumi she had been awake the entire time after finding out she had been beaten down severely.

_If we had switched places I'm sure I would feel the same as her, hell I was unconscious and I feel like I haven't kissed her or held her like this in years._

It didn't take long for the duo to knock the bottles off the bed their kissing and desire for one another overcoming the need to use the oils any longer.

Shepard pulled her in closer so they were chest to chest as they kissed Kasumi bringing her hands to her lover's gorgeous face feeling the softness of her warm skin under her palms as her velvety lips kissed her own. The commander wrapped her arms securely around the thief's waist as they kissed; her arms were strong and granted the thief safety when being held by them.

In her arms here she felt nothing but the utmost trust in her lover knowing no matter what she wouldn't be too rough or hurt her accidently. _She's so gentle, a tough warrior on the battlefield but always caring out there, when we're together the only thing that changes is she doesn't put on a tough act. She gets to be Ana with me instead of Commander Shepard._

She was honored to be that for her, to be safe enough to let all her protective walls that she had on in the field down and just be Anastasia Shepard.

Not missing beat Shepard got onto her own knees laying Kasumi onto her back staying between her legs as they continued their kiss.

Kasumi wrapped her legs around the waist of her lover hoping to keep her from getting too far away, they parted from the kiss passion and desire taking form in their eyes as they stared at one another lovingly. The thief ran her hands down the redhead's chest and abdomen slowly, _her skin is always so soft. _Her fingers traced over a scar, _some people may not find scars like hers attractive but I do. They make her all the more beautiful._

She nudged the N7s nose with her own initiating a short yet passion filled kiss. "You're beautiful, body and soul Ana." She breathed out her voice carrying all her love and desire for the beautiful redhead above her as she cupped her lovers face.

"And you say I have the honey tongue." Shepard responded resting her hand on top of Kasumi's. "I love you Kasumi Goto, with all my heart and soul."

"Show me." She said with a smile.

Her sky blue eyed lover smiled in return taking her hand in her own kissing the palm of it as she did, "As you command my love."

* * *

Kasumi was content and satisfied as she listened intently to the heartbeat under her ear; she ran the tips of her fingers slowly up the middle of Shepard's stomach tracing over every inch of her as the woman held her close.

Once again their love making had blown the thief's mind, there was just so much passion shared between them, so much love. The circumstances of their recent separation only made it more intense taking both women over the edge until they were overtaken by tsunami like waves of pleasure.

The thief let out a satisfied sigh, _her love breathes life into me. _"I wish we could do this all day." Shepard said quietly.

A smile made its way onto Kasumi's face as she looked up to her beautiful lover, "What, make love? I can arrange that if you want."

Shepard smiled kissing the thief on the forehead as her fingers began running up and down her arm. "That too but I meant be like this."

"Naked with our legs tangled together after making glorious love?" Kasumi teased knowing full well what she meant. Her sky blue eyed lover smirked and rolled her eyes. "We may not be able to do it all day but we can make it an every night occurrence, love making and candles included if you wish."

"Make fun all you want but I was being serious." Shepard pouted.

Kasumi pushed herself up allowing her face to become serious which garnered the attention of the redhead who had thought she had been making a jest after her initially two. "Ana I _was_ being serious. I know I tease a lot but I love what we share and I would wait all night for you to come back to be with you." She brought her hand to the redhead's cheek moving strands of her soft red hair behind her ear before cupping her cheek. "I'm yours Ana, forever."

Shepard brought her hand to the thief's taking it in her own and bringing it to her lips pressing a gentle kiss on her palm. "I missed you." She said quietly but her tone remained full of love.

"I am one of a kind, aren't I?" Kasumi responded with a smirk.

Her lover smiled in return, she tugged the thief gently back down to her so they were chest to chest and face to face. "That you are my love, that you are." They engaged in a slow passionate kiss taking all the time they wanted to as they shared their love for one another through it.

When they finally parted they both smiled and Kasumi laid back down resting her ear over Shepard's heart. "So, every night?" The N7 asked.

Kasumi smiled nodding slightly, "Love making and candles included if you want."

She hummed the thrumming in her chest vibrating into the thief's ear, a hypnotizing sound but not nearly as hypnotizing as the gentle thumping of her heart. "As long as you're here with me I don't care what we do."

"Honey tongue."

Lips pressed against the top of her head, "Yes but my honey tongue belongs to you."

"I love you Ana."

"And I love you Kasumi."

Kasumi smiled and turned her head up to kiss Shepard once more finding the commander's lips ready and waiting. As her lover's arms wrapped around the back of her neck the thief found herself smiling.

_Seize the day indeed._


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

A Hope Filled Future

Garrus Vakarian was many things.

For starters he was a great friend who had had Shepard's back many times since the original Normandy days. No matter what kind of trouble they were in Garrus was always there covering her six never once doubting her.

Whether she brought them to a colony being controlled by an ancient being, a frozen planet where corrupt criminals were allowed to do their business legally, a suicide mission or a war against giant death bringers, he was there.

_"We're a team, Garrus. There is no Shepard without Vakarian."_

Shepard suppressed her sad smirk at the memory of one of the final things she said to her Turian best friend before the final push. While it remained a true statement, being reminded that she had almost broken that bond with her own death again wasn't something she enjoyed.

That day was still a painful memory to look back at despite the war ending that same day, so many lives were lost and had the Illusive Man not betrayed them they wouldn't have had to go on a full assault to try to end it all.

She quickly suppressed those lingering thoughts about what could have been and focused back on the Turian standing next to her. Besides for being a great friend who had her back through all her battles he was also stubborn as all hell.

He had bullheaded his way through Omega taking down the major power players enough that they joined together to kill him and his squad succeeding only in killing the latter. Managing to piss off three huge mercenary groups and live was not an easy feat.

After all of that he still continued to fight likely expecting to die but hoping to take as many of the mercenaries as he could before he did.

In a way that was classic Garrus fashion.

He was expecting the worst so when it didn't happen he was pleasantly surprised.

If that wasn't enough after they reunited he let his face meet a missile pretty much head on and managed to survive. His face got scarred but it was nothing he couldn't handle.

"_Hell Garrus, you were always ugly. Slap some face paint on there and no one will even notice."_ Shepard recalled telling him after it happened.

Saying it was of course in good humor trying to make light of a situation that could have gone a lot worse than it had and even he had laughed at it. The Turian bounced back joining her on their round trip to hell despite the questionable company they were around rekindling their friendship as if she wasn't gone for two years.

Once again Garrus was watching her six with practiced precision.

During his down time he was certainly busy doing calibrations on the guns at almost every hour of the day regardless of how many times she checked in on him but that didn't stop her from going down to talk to him or bringing him with her on missions.

Bringing him down on missions got him away from stubbornly working every moment he had the chance to on their main guns and, if Shepard had to guess, away from his thoughts of failing his men. He had taken the loss of his men fairly hard and having a target in the form of Sidonis to push all his hatred at hadn't been healthy for her friend.

He had went from hot head who hated red tape and following the rules he was given to a hot head with a stick in his hands who wanted to bash in the heads of those who crossed innocents or him. Garrus's anger had run deep and the redhead had hoped that bringing him away from the guns and down to release that anger on mercenaries would help.

For the most part it had worked yet once he found Sidonis the anger came back in full swing. Stopping him from shooting Harkin and Sidonis had been rather difficult but in the end he had come out of it a better person. His anger subsided and though he didn't forget his men, he wasn't going around beating people with the stick anymore, or at least not as much.

His stubborn loyalty to her was something the commander had come to cherish as she did with all of those who she had joined her crew but sometimes he was stubborn to a fault.

An example of said stubbornness was happening at the moment as he refused to leave her side. Normally she didn't mind having him by her side yet right now he was purposely ignoring her request for him to go and talk to a woman sitting in the distance amongst the refugee camp they had been helping.

_If Tali were here she would have kicked his ass into shape by now, _Shepard thought with a smirk. The threat of a shotgun from Tali had a certain effect on her Turian friend like no other threat gave. "You need to go talk to her." Shepard told him.

"Are we really going to go over this again Shepard? I thought we agreed that we were at a stalemate?" Garrus asked his tone dry.

"I didn't agree to that and I will continue to bring this up until you move your ass Vakarian." She said with a smirk. He shook his head not budging from his spot, he wasn't going anywhere without coercion of some sort.

_Which is why I called in back up._

Heavy footsteps brought the commander and the Turian from their debate to their approaching crew member. "There you are Shepard. I was 'bout to call it a day." Zaeed greeted as he approached the two. "Garrus." The veteran nodded to the Turian. Garrus nodded back then spared the redhead a suspecting look unsure of why the veteran had just randomly shown up. "So, what's the problem?"

"You see that female Turian over there?" Shepard lifted her chin in the direction of the sitting Turian. Garrus's eyes showed confusion and worry as to what she was doing once Zaeed looked over to the Turian. "What do you think?"

"Are you setting me up on some sort of blind date or somethin'?" Zaeed cocked an eyebrow in question.

At his response mixed with the steady almost threatening gaze from Garrus the redhead laughed, oh yes this was definitely going to work in her favor. "Not unless you want me to."

Her Turian friend's eyes were boring into her skull in warning to what she was doing. He apparently did not like the way this was going and continuing it could end up bad for her if the stare was anything to go by.

Zaeed wasn't really certain of what was going on so he shrugged and looked back to the Turian, "Eh, not bad I suppose. Turian women have never been to my tastes, why? What's on your mind Shepard?"

"Oh nothing." She waved him off, "Just seeing if someone would go talk to her since _someone _won't."

His eyebrow cocked back up again in confusion. "What? Is Garrus pussyfooting around or somethin'?" The Turian's gaze hardened to a sharp point. At his look the veteran's eyebrow returned to its normal position while he crossed his arms over his chest. A smirk began to pull at his lips as he shifted his weight to one foot, "Too scared to go talk to a woman? Worried Tali might cut your balls off?"

Garrus's stare would have vaporized them both if he had the power.

"I'm a bit old for her Shepard." Zaeed's smirk didn't leave as he looked at Shepard who also had a smirk. "But, I guess I could make an exception if she can."

"If you take one step towards her I'll carve another scar onto your face." Garrus threatened calmly. His tone remained calm but Shepard could tell he couldn't stand the mere thought of their one eyed friend approaching the Turian woman.

Zaeed didn't lose his smirk one bit; in fact he had an even more humorous glint in his eye that almost made it to his dead eye. "Threats? She must be a special girl. Afraid Papa Zaeed might corrupt her?"

Shepard nearly lost control of her laughter at the twitching Garrus began doing. _As fun as this is, I should stop it before Zaeed and Garrus start seriously fighting. _"That's his sister actually."

This time Zaeed did lose his smirk as surprised tugged onto his scarred face, surprise turned into a hard frown his furrowed brow forming a small knot at the center. "So let me get this straight."

He spoke slowly and his tone was dead serious. It was a tone Shepard hadn't heard in a long time and one that spelt disaster for Garrus's stubbornness. Using this tone with their friend was the very reason she had contacted him in the first place, Zaeed had a way about making you feel like an idiot when he needed to. "Your sister is right over there, _alive_ and you're standing here being too much of a coward to go talk to her?"

"I am not bein-"

The veteran interrupted Garrus his stare turning cold, possibly colder than Noveria and harder than a Krogan headplate. "Vakarian. Your goddamned sister is alive and you haven't even spoken to her. You're standin' here making excuses when you should be over there tellin' her you weren't chewed up and spit out after the damn Crucible was fired. Are you fuckin' stupid?" He pointed in the direction of his sister, "Go over there and talk to her or I'll get Tiny and we'll drag you over there."

They stared at each other silently, "Vakarian." Zaeed chided forcibly.

"Alright. But if I don't come out of this with all my limbs intact, Tali has a shotgun."

Both the veteran and the commander chuckled, "You don't need to remind me Vakarian. If you're so worried about your health you shoulda just spoke to her earlier." The Turian shook his head mumbling something about not knowing his sister then walked off to go talk to her finally.

Shepard watched him closely to make sure he didn't sneak off but he didn't try to get out of it. His sister, Solana, noticed him right away and promptly punched him in the face before pulling him into a hug once he was in range. "Feisty. Might have enjoyed it." Zaeed sighed.

"Too late now Zaeed." The redhead chuckled. _Although I doubt Garrus would have let you even get close to his sister with those intentions. _She was glad that Zaeed was able to convince her stubborn friend to finally go talk to his sister after not listening to all the good reasoning she had tried to convince him of.

Sometimes being nice about it didn't do anything, sometimes you needed someone like Zaeed to come in and tell you how much of an idiot you were being. _His threat to bring Grunt with him to drag Garrus was probably more factual than a threat as well. Garrus could put up a fight but those two have a lot of strength, and if he brought Wrex as well I'm sure Garrus would have no choice in the matter. _

Their Krogan teammate and the old mercenary weren't the kind to do things subtly, they were more of the forward approach kind and if that meant dragging their teammate to his sister then they would do it.

"Thanks for the help, Garrus wouldn't listen to reason and I don't have a shotgun."

Her friend nodded, "Don't mention it. He's always been a bit thick headed but nothing you can't bludgeon past." Shepard smirked at him, "Reminds me of an old Krogan bastard I used to do business with, he'd claim he was out of stock of incendiary grenades when I knew he was anything but."

Zaeed got a familiar faraway nostalgic look in his eyes. She had seen this look many times before and every time the N7 saw it she couldn't help but smile. He had some interesting stories and some of them were only things someone like Zaeed would end up seeing. "Always suspected I would get shot in the back one day but he just enjoyed pissing me off. "Why should I give you them right away when I can get under your skin?" he'd ask me and then I would proceed to threaten to rip his goddamned headplate off. Never took it seriously, he'd bark a laugh and hand them over."

"Grunt told me once that Krogan are more likely to shoot you in the face rather than the back. Maybe he didn't want to mess up that pretty face of yours, well any more than it already is I mean." Shepard chuckled.

Zaeed gave a hearty laugh slugging the commander in the arm as he did, "As if your face was any better when we met. All scarred and glowin' like someone put a lava lamp in your head."

"Ha ha." She drawled. The redhead brought her hand to her face remembering the scars herself and how irritating they had been. Staying positive had helped her recovery immensely which had in turn stopped her from having to use her upgraded med-bay equipment. _Having the option or safety net in case things went bad was nice though._

He didn't seem to hear her having his nostalgic look once more. "Then again, you may be right Shepard. Krogan bastard liked to make jokes about me being uglier than Turian's. He should have met Garrus after he got his face blown to shit." Zaeed chuckled as he spoke. "He would have had a real laugh about that. "A Turian uglier than you Zaeed? That's a first."" The veteran snorted, "I can hear it now. Wonder what happened to that ugly bastard."

"Still going to call it a day Zaeed?"

She was curious as to what he was going to do as she knew he had been busy helping refugees and playing mediator between those who argued. By mediator Shepard of course meant he was there to be the imposing presence of a veteran mercenary who didn't take anyone's disrespect to stop others from fighting by knocking down those who tried with a hard punch.

Most of the time, according to Zaeed, he didn't get to see much action but there had been a few humans and Batarian's who "_needed to be taught a lesson in table manners_."

From what she understood he had slammed them through tables on separate occasions for trying to steal from the refugees who were in worse shape and there hadn't been an incident from them since.

Let it be said that Zaeed, the veteran mercenary who was betrayed and shot in the face leaving him horribly disfigured, had a soft side for those in need. But if you were going to say it then to be safe it was best to say it quietly out of his range of hearing because he was known to give others "_soft sides"_ using bullets or his bare hands.

_Maybe he'll go play some Claw to get a plushy Volus toy for someone,_ Shepard had to bite the inner part of her cheek to stop herself from laughing. It was quite cute and hilarious to see the hardened veteran holding a tiny Volus toy as well as getting frustrated beyond all belief over playing a game of Claw.

_It probably wouldn't be best to mention I was able to play the game after him and I never once missed, _Shepard smirked. She had a weird sense of pride to have been able to play the game flawlessly while others, like Zaeed, couldn't for the life of them pick up a toy until they wasted hundreds of credits.

"Yeah no sense standing around the refugee camp doin' nothin'. I was taking up useful space and those sorry bastards need every bit of space they can get." He responded.

Shepard couldn't deny his logic on the matter.

Even after making leaps and bounds on figuring out how to repair the relays and helping the refugees on both the Citadel and Earth there was still much work to be done and little space to do it sometimes.

Soldiers and refugees of all races were stranded in the Sol system and although the space the Citadel and Earth offered was a large area, the Reapers had done a huge number on Earth leveling entire cities. Places that could have once offered refuge were now nothing but skeletal ruins or dirt and ash.

In truth the repairs needed across the entire galaxy were going to take more than a few months and if they couldn't bring the entire force of the galaxy back together to do this they were looking at a situation similar to that of the Drell homeworld Rakhana.

Warring with one another for scraps of food and medi-gel until no one but a few thousand were left.

_If it wasn't for the fact that I know we're getting really close to fixing our relay I would probably being worrying more._

No one was entirely quiet about news on fixing the Sol Relay. Anytime there was a breakthrough or the repair team fixed part of the Relay itself they would release the news keeping hope in all of the survivors hearts.

It was always one step after another with no steps back and that was amazing. There of course were hiccups now and then that would cause the repair teams to step back and try to figure out a way around the problem or how to fix it but it was never too difficult.

When you put Salarian's, Quarian's, Rachni and Geth together in one room to solve technological problems you tended to get results fairly quickly. The Rachni were great workers and had been around a very long time. The Geth could work directly out in the dead of space if need be while also bringing their own intelligence on Reaper tech to help.

As for the Salarian's and Quarian's they added their intelligence onto the other two helping things move a bit faster, the recent intelligence found in the Mars Archives helped to move it even faster.

The equal to what they were doing would be shoving Turian's, Krogan's, Rachni and humans into one room when in need of a solution to blow something up or strategize a war. Results would be easy to get as the four races knew how to destroy and wage war pretty damn well.

"Going to hit up the Claw station?" Shepard joked.

"Hmm. Might not be a bad idea to show those smartass Salarian's that their kids game can't beat me." The redhead simply chuckled at her friend seeing that he was actually serious when she was joking. "I'm going to go get a drink, stop by the Claw machine later Shepard I'll treat you to a game."

"Treat me to a game? Are you asking me on a date Zaeed?"

"And risk Kasumi stealing my armor so she can paint it pink?" He chuckled, "Not a chance in hell."

Shepard smirked at the thought of both Kasumi painting his armor pink and seeing him in it, for some reason she doubted that his badass attitude would lessen if he wore pink armor. In fact she was almost positive he would be even more of a badass in it due to how many people he would knock out or kill for trying to make a joke about his armor.

_And trying to make a joke at someone like Zaeed wearing pink armor would be like trying to poke fun at a Krogan wearing pink. You'd be instigating your own death or mugging depending on what kind of mood he was in before that._

"Yeah, I don't think pink would be your color. See you later Zaeed."

"Later Shepard." The mercenary turned to leave at the same time a human woman who looked to be in her twenty's passed by them. Shepard quickly took notice of Zaeed watching her go by until she was too far into a crowd to see. Once she was out of sight he shook his head and began walking again. "Goddamn what I'd give to be young again." She heard him mutter under his breath.

She rolled her eyes with a smirk and stole once last glance at Garrus to make sure he hadn't dismissed himself from his sister quickly. He was still there talking to his sister and that made her smile fully before she too left to go help some of the refugees and search for her hooded lover.

Garrus had wanted to talk to his sister but he had lacked the courage to do so, something Shepard was unaccustomed to saying about her dear friend. He was worried she would be in worse shape than she had been before they saw her and then after that it was the excuse of she was busy and he didn't want to go over and it not be her.

The last excuse was one to cover up his worry that she wouldn't notice him after not seeing her for an extended amount of time. Instead of admitting that he made up his excuse that he wasn't sure it was actually her when in fact they both knew it actually was her. Not only did she have the same markings on her face as Garrus, minus the scars, but he had confirmed it with his contacts before going.

In one hand she couldn't blame him for his nervous attitude about approaching his sister after everything they had went through. Would she recognize him or would he be another passing stranger? Would there be any hatred pushed at him for not staying with them during the war?

There were so many possibilities of bad things that could happen leaving a lot of shades of grey between the black and white. _Garrus has had a hard time dealing with the shades of grey in the past. I'm just glad I have been able to help when I can._

On the other hand she wanted to do what Zaeed did and tell him how ridiculous he was being about the situation. His sister was alive and a short walk away from him yet he was letting nervousness stop him from going to talk to her. There were people who didn't have the chance to go see their family members because they were dead while his was very much alive and he wouldn't go talk to her.

He was aware deep down at how stupid he was acting and he really wanted to go talk to her but his stubbornness was stopping him. _"I'll go see her later Shepard when she's alone."_ Garrus had told her.

That was not going to fly.

Shepard would have called in Tali to help but knew she was really busy going over some of the repairs on the Relay's with the other races and a few head Quarian's on the matter. She was handling important business and thus that led the commander to turn to Zaeed who would be blunt about the situation.

Zaeed wasn't one to skirt around issues once he caught onto what was going on. He knew she had called him for a reason and while her initial questions about what appeared to be a random Turian woman confused him, finally telling him it was Garrus's sister made him realize the true meaning.

She probably could have convinced Garrus to go with a little more coercion or taking the blunt approach but she didn't want to spend another half an hour trying to convince him. When it came to hard headed Turian's Garrus could be on the top of the list or the bottom of it depending on the situation at hand.

Even after having a Mako explode practically right on top of him during the final run to the beam Garrus was going to try to push through his wounds and follow her. Kaiden was in the same boat of wishing to follow her but the severity of their wounds stopped them both from arguing.

_That damn Mako nearly killed them. I wonder if that was fates sick sense of humor for all the jokes I used to make about how indestructible the Mako was. Not that it matters now, they survived their wounds and I made it to the beam in one piece…more or less._

The commander continued on her way stuffing her hands into the pockets of her N7 hoodie as she searched and listened to the area around her for people in need. It was an old habit she had adopted over her time trying to save the galaxy to ensure that everyone received help no matter how small their problem was.

Eavesdropping was what it was called on a normal basis but for her it was a way to hear out the people who needed help but didn't have a loud enough voice to be heard or were blatantly ignored.

There had been more than a few doctors and scientists who needed help but were ignored by their superiors for one reason or another whether it was limited supplies or a lack of knowledge or Reaper tech in rare cases to help. Thankfully Cerberus had collected Reaper tech which was an odd thing to say and they had also made some breakthroughs that helped aliens.

Of course they marked those as failures but Shepard had been able to snag them and use them to help those in need of those items. _The Illusive Man did lend a helping hand to the war effort even if he didn't know it. Probably pissed him off if he ever found out about those "failed" research tests falling into my hands, he likely didn't take kindly to his soldiers failing to destroy them._

Garrus had once pondered on if the Illusive Man fired his commanders for failing or just lined them up and got it over with and to be honest looking back the redhead had to wonder the same thing.

He had sent Kai Leng to his death in a way or at least Shepard didn't believe that he would believe the sword wielding second in command would succeed. _Definitely not after that little surprise on the Citadel he gave Anderson and I. He was a cautious man but after all the failed attempts on killing me the Illusive Man had to have lost faith at one point or another._

_Then again he never lost hope on me turning my back on the others to help him so it's hard to say._

With her feet and subconscious mind guiding her Shepard soon found herself at a camp made for orphans of the war run by none other than Conrad Verner. She didn't see the man anywhere around but she was happy to help when he asked for funding to create a place for orphans of the war.

He had messed up a few times over the years and had been her first creepy stalker yet despite all the frustrating circumstances she usually found him in the man did help the war effort and would have taken a bullet for her if Jenna hadn't disabled the gun.

He had started the "Shepards" charity back on Illium to help orphans, POWs and refugees so in a way he already knew what he was doing where she wasn't sure how to set it up. Conrad managed to get enough people to help him out with it for once not picking anyone who he shouldn't be talking to or listening to.

_At least he's learned how to judge people a bit better._

The place was renamed after his original charity and offered a safe and healthy place for orphans who had no place to go or kids whose parents were somewhere out beyond the Sol System.

It was there Shepard found Javik standing watching the kids of differing races play around, relax and be taken care of by the caretakers.

"Javik?" Shepard couldn't help but sound surprised at finding the Prothean here.

He inclined his head in greeting his arms behind his back and his posture straight as always. "Commander. I did not expect you to be here."

"I hadn't really planned to; I sort of just ended up here. What are you doing here?"

"Looking to conquer the primitives of the new generation. They will serve as my minions as I reinstate Prothean rule." She stared at him a bit blankly then steadily cracked a smirk when she realized he was joking and then finally fell into a laugh. To hear a joke out of Javik of all people was surprising as it was refreshing, even if it was a bit dry and hard to tell if he was serious or not.

It was only difficult to tell the difference between Javik telling a joke and being serious because the Prothean had never been one for jokes or humor in the first place. The first time she had heard him really laugh was after falling through the fish tank.

Javik had started with his usual "During my cycle" he was so found of using when he felt the need to tell them how ridiculous they were or how things happened during his original life time. _I can't even recall all the times he said it because of how much he said it, just like I can't count the number of times Garrus told me he was too busy doing calibrations._

After that he had proceeded to then laugh at her and call her a trailblazer. To be honest she had been too surprised by his laughter to pay attention to the joke at her expense. Javik was a serious person for many reasons, all of which were very justifiable, yet he managed to finally laugh after remaining serious for so long.

There was something special about that to Shepard though she couldn't explain exactly why she thought it was.

"Your "Joker" pilot believed I was serious. I am glad to see you understand humor better than him." Shepard chuckled at him seeing a lack of logic in his thinking but deciding best not to address it.

Sometimes you had to let Javik be right now and then.

"I'm sure he was just having an off day. So if you're not planning to take over the galaxy using these kids, what are you doing?" The Prothean shifted ever so slightly that Shepard had almost not seen it. _Is he uncomfortable?_ She had only ever seen him show how uncomfortable he was once and that was when she had asked him about the memory shard.

"All I have ever known is war. During my cycle all children were raised to be warriors, there was no time for what you call "playing." We each had a role to play in defending the empire and those of the next generation had to be taught to defend themselves." Shepard began to understand immediately what he was getting at. "It is…strange to see children who retain their innocence."

Shepard saw children eagerly looking around like they were searching for someone, _must be playing hide and seek._ "But it is a good strange." Shepard said softly. He didn't respond vocally or physically so she decided to continue, "They have a future now where they don't have to go through the plague of death that war against something like the Reapers brings. We fought for that future and now these kids have a chance at a life where the nightmare factory the Reapers brought doesn't exist."

"They must not forget what you achieved Commander. Peace between different species is not easily gained without violent means, but it can be lost if the future generations are not careful." Javik told her.

_I can always rely on Javik to really lighten the atmosphere, _Shepard mused. He was right in some aspects though, the peace they had achieved was not without struggle and there was still much to do to keep that peace. If the future generations did not learn from the mistakes of the past as their previous generations hadn't then they were sure to follow them. "Then we'll work hard to make sure we keep the peace during our time and ensure they learn from any and all mistakes we've made in the past."

Javik turned to her with a serious expression, "And if that does not work?"

"Then we step back, look at what went wrong and try again. Peace has only ever been unattainable when everyone stopped learning and trying again."

Her Prothean teammate nodded an understanding nod, "I think the galaxy could learn a lot from you Commander." He smirked at her, "For a primitive, whose ancestors used to live in caves." Shepard laughed this time and shook her head.

_Some things will never change._

"I once thought hope a foolish primitive ideal…but now I see it is not as foolish as I believed." He bowed his head slightly, "Thank you Commander. A hope filled future may not be as dark as I thought it might be."

She bowed her head in return and without another word he turned to leave. Before he left completely he stopped and turned back to her. "Oh and your "Kasumi" lover is pretending to be invisible again." Shepard raised her eyebrows in a bit of surprise. "They call it "hide and seek" but both their hiding and their seeking need work. Fool primitives haven't discovered she is pretending to be invisible yet. I worry about this cycle." He said as he continued walking away.

_Javik as usual, _she smirked then turned her head to the kids who were searching about seeking out her cloaked lover, _That little cheater using her cloak to hide from the kids._

After a bit of searching she saw the shimmer of her lover's cloak, _there you are._ Her lover was hiding under a table completely invisible thanks to her cloak causing kids to run past her. Slowly she created a small biotic field gripping the table and moving it so it would screech across the floor.

One of the kids stopped and looked at the table so Shepard did what any one in her position would do and moved the table again right as Kasumi's cloak shimmered again. Immediately the kid caught on and walked over to the table with the other kids in tow deciding to dog pile the thief once she revealed herself.

Everyone went into a fit of laughs including the thief herself while Shepard leaned against the wall and watched on smiling blissfully at them. Kasumi caught her eyes with her own and sent her a beautiful smile before sticking her tongue out at her for getting her caught.

For a good ten minutes the red haired N7 watched as her lover went from playing with the kids to helping them tidy up the mess they all made by playing and getting them ready for their dinner time.

There was a sudden pang for family she felt in her heart watching her lover escort the kids around. For the longest time the Normandy team had been her family and they would forever remain that way, yet she couldn't help but think back to the parents she lost years ago on Mindoir.

She wondered what they would think of Kasumi and if they would be proud of her for staying alive long enough to experience as much as she had. In their absence Anderson had become a fatherly figure and then Chakwas became her motherly figure, she had to guess that if they were proud and happy for her that her parents would have been to.

For a moment four of the kids around Kasumi morphed into the four kids her vivid imagination granted her with and the pang got worse. Without all the friends who had joined her on the Normandy the redhead wasn't sure if she would remember what having a family was like. Most of her memories from her life on Mindoir were scattered at best and completely gone at worse.

If there was something she wanted to do it was be there for her kids as they grew older, she didn't want to be a parent who didn't know her children because she spent too much time away from home.

To be able to see them become adults and explore the galaxy they had fought to save was a deep desire of hers and while the pang was telling her to settle down now the commander knew she couldn't. Settling down now would cause her to fail at the very wish of being there for her kids through both their younger years and into their adult years.

_So much work to be done and we haven't even started galaxy wide repairs._ She sighed and thought back to the conversation she had with Kasumi this morning.

"_Ana…I- I know this may be asking a lot, but can you promise me that we'll…settle down and live out on that beach and do what you dreamed of? I know we have to help with repairs and I'm all for it, but after the Relays are up and after we've helped the galaxy get stable…if there comes a time when it looks like they are throwing all the weight on your shoulders, will you please walk away from it all and retire?"_

At first before Kasumi had finished her entire question the commander was confused. She wasn't sure why she was so worried about them not settling down after all the conversations they had. Of course she would settle down with her on that beach and fulfill those dreams; she wouldn't wait until they were too old to really enjoy those dreams.

Once she finally finished her questioning she understood the worry in her lover's voice. Shepard knew the thief wouldn't allow her to be weighted down by all the decisions again but her lover was worried she'd let herself be dragged in so far that she couldn't back out.

The thief would remain at her side regardless of her decision but she didn't want to see her so burdened ever again. Kasumi also knew the redhead well enough to know that she would do all she could to help and that it was possible she might end up taking a large amount of a burden again despite intentions of not wanting to.

Watching Kasumi saunter back over to her with a smile on her face and feeling the pang in her heart for having a family made her answer even more easy to say now than it was to say before.

_"Yes, I promise I will Kasumi."_

"Hey Shep. You okay?" Kasumi asked noticing the faraway look in her eyes.

Shepard smiled and hugged her, "More than you realize." Her lover kissed her tenderly on her cheek and intertwined their hands.

"That's great." She tugged on her hand a little, "Come on I got a message from Jack that she needed some help with her students, so I volunteered our help. I wonder if David is still doing okay." Kasumi said never losing her smile as the redhead smiled back and caught up to her so they could walk side by side.

Everything felt a lot better holding her hand, even if it was gloved she could still feel the warmth from it and the pang for settling down was washed away. Having Kasumi and her team by her side was all she needed right now and one day somewhere down the line she would fulfill both her promise to her hooded lover and the dreams they had.

_I think you're right Javik, the future does hold a lot more hope than I realized._


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

A Favor for a Friend

Shepard sat perfectly still on her couch as she read over the data-pad she was holding in her right hand all the while letting Jack tattoo her left wrist. If it weren't for the days she used to spend meditating with Samara back during the Suicide Mission the redhead doubted she would be able to remain as still as a statue like she was now.

The Justicar had taught her many things during their talks in the Starboard Observation lounge from her order to the basics of meditation. Learning meditation from her friend had come in handy to calm her down from certain panic during some of the more extreme moments in her recent years.

Moments like facing down the Human Reaper, dodging a Reaper beam and Reaper forces as she tried to summon Kalros and facing down a Reaper on foot on Rannoch were a few of those moments where nerves of steel weren't enough to keep her calm.

Before the Reapers the biggest thing a solider could plan to encounter was a thresher maw or some other sort of wildlife like it. You also usually had a tank or some other sort of vehicle with a large gun on it if you were planning to take them on and those who tried on foot usually didn't survive. The N7 couldn't recall the amount of thresher maws she had faced in the Mako during her hunt for Saren.

Regardless of the jokes her crew made about the vehicle they could all agree facing a thresher maw with a giant cannon was better than facing it on foot any day of the year.

Once the Reapers showed up in the commanders life all the way back on her hunt for Saren the things she had to face seemed to get larger in size or in amount, and sometimes it was both. The first time she had faced a thresher maw on foot was for Grunt's Rite of Passage and from there the next big thing was the human Reaper embryo.

Facing something that completely dwarfed them in size was frightening; the mechanical noises it made rang in her ears for weeks after the fight. Part of the redhead had nearly panicked at the sight of the huge machine but thanks to the breathing exercises Samara taught her she managed to calm herself down and fight it with her crew.

The same went for all the other insane moments she went through. Shepard had managed to stay focused and calm when facing down the Reaper on Rannoch because of those breathing exercises. One deep breath had managed to steel her nerves and as she ran around dodging the death beam continuing to breathe calmly had kept her from letting panic take her over.

That and knowing if she tried to run for it the Reaper would still keep control of the Geth, kill the Quarian's and kill her as she ran. She was in a situation where she couldn't back out and that helped to keep her from backing out.

With the end of the war it seemed to the N7 that using the skill for keeping herself calm against giant monsters wasn't going to be needed anymore. Now she was simply using her ability to sit still for hours at a time to allow Jack to give her a tattoo and read over the message she received from Kolyat Krios.

_Commander,_

_I wanted to thank you again for holding the ceremony for my father before you left to defeat Cerberus and the Reapers. My father…he believed that you would succeed in your mission. The Reapers seemed impossible to defeat but he told me that if there was anyone who could do what seemed impossible, it was you. I'm glad to see he was right and that you survived the fight. My father was at peace with everything he had done but he did have one final wish for you and asked me to give his message to you after the war was over._

Shepard clenched the data-pad a little tighter knowing the next lines of the message were going to be directly from Thane. Losing him to Kai Leng still hurt and although she had killed the sword wielding operative, a more sadistic side of her wished to have let him linger a little longer. He had caused her and the rest of the galaxy so much trouble and pain.

The death she gave him was too swift.

On the other hand Shepard knew Thane wouldn't have wanted her to do anything more than she had. He had been trained to grant death quickly and painlessly. To have tortured Kai Leng in Thane's name would have tainted the spirit of her fallen friend after he had worked so hard to find peace.

Her kill had been quick, probably not painless but using her omni-blade to kill him was poetic justice. He had stabbed Thane with his blade causing him to die; she broke that blade and gutted him with her own blade.

"You okay Shepard?" Jack asked noticing the tightening of her muscles.

Quickly she relaxed her body fighting against the sadness building up in her body. "Yeah." She continued reading despite the tattooed biotic giving her a look that told the N7 she was aware that she was lying.

_Shepard if you are reading this than both you and Kolyat survived the war against the Reapers. You have truly performed the impossible. It is possible that at the time you are reading this that I have departed to the sea but I must ask you again not to mourn for me. Your heart has been burdened by much since this war began; please do not let me be a burden after it is over._

_I am at peace Shepard._

The N7 blinked away the tears that were trying to form. She could hear his voice as she read the words and knew he was finally at peace.

_You were the first friend I had made in many years, maybe one of the first true friends I had ever made. As I write this I begin to realize I never thanked you for believing that I was worthy of more than the cold isolation I resigned myself to. For the first time in years I had others to depend on who showed me the meaning of true friendship, and it is you I have to thank for that. I may not get the chance to express my gratitude next time we speak so let me do it now. _

_Thank you for everything Shepard. Much of the peace I find comforting now was achieved aboard the Normandy during our mission. When I depart to the sea know it is because of your friendship and what you did for me that I will not go as a burdened soul. _

Shepard felt her heart begin to ache.

_I do not believe I will live to see the end of the war but I know you will. You were the warrior-angel the galaxy was in dire need of and I know the Goddess Arashu will have protected you so you could succeed in your destiny. These words may be my very last and if they are I feel I must ask one more favor of you. What I ask will be difficult, but all things worth doing are._

_Find peace Shepard. You have earned your rest from conflict. _

_ One day I will meet you and our friends across the sea, but not yet._

_ Live well._

_Thane._

"Thank you Thane. We'll meet you there someday." Shepard whispered.

Jack was sitting close enough to her that her whisper was still audible; she lowered the tattoo gun and looked to the N7. "He left a message behind?" She asked.

Shepard nodded slightly, "Kolyat sent it to me. He wrote it before Cerberus attacked the Citadel and asked Kolyat to give it to me after we succeeded in defeating the Reapers."

"What did he say?"

"A lot, but he asked me to find peace. Told me it was my time to rest from conflict just as it was his when we last spoke before the attack." The redhead explained.

Her friend nodded and began tattooing again. "It's a good plan and he's right about the resting part, mostly. You're going to be stuck with political bullshit while you're here and that's more of a pain in the ass than a regular fight."

The N7 chuckled softly not wanting to cause her body to move while Jack had the tattoo gun to her skin. "You have a point." Shepard said.

She looked back down to the data-pad to finish up the remainder of Kolyat's message.

_Thank you for everything you've done Commander. I would also like you to know that the Salarian Councilor has been very generous in helping fund the scientists researching the cure for Kepral Syndrome. With the Relays and comms down on a galactic level it has become difficult but there are still scientists in the Sol system working on it. It will be difficult even after the Relays are up, but all things worth doing are. _

_That's what my father taught me._

_Thank you again,_

_ Kolyat Krios._

Shepard closed the data-pad and set it down next to her. It was a surprise to find a message from Kolyat in her message box this afternoon, yet it wasn't an unwelcome one. She had wondered if he had survived the Citadel occupation but with her recovery and then the Saracino incident following right after it the N7 found herself constantly busy in some form or another.

Now though she was getting back into the swing of checking her extranet messages daily to keep up with reports coming in from Hackett and the Council as well as personal messages such as the one Kolyat sent her. Hearing from the son of her late friend was great, hearing that scientists were still working on finding a cure for Kepral Syndrome was in some ways even better.

Thane had been stricken with the disease for some time before his end and because of it no amount of blood given to him from Kolyat made a difference. The wound Kai Leng had dealt might have been survivable had the disease not been so far along and at the time of his death that simple knowledge made the commander feel worse.

She could remember the service they held for Thane and finding out from his son that there were scientists working on trying to find a cure but were in need of funding. At that point Shepard found herself ready to threaten the Salarian Councilor into giving funding to whoever the scientists working on finding a cure were.

Her plan wasn't one that she believed would work even if she threatened to tell the other council members about the experiments she saw on Sur'Kesh. There was always a possibility the rest of the council knew and threatening the councilor after having a memorial service for Thane felt wrong.

_Thane wouldn't want a cure gained by threats,_ Shepard thought as Jack began coloring in the tattoo_. Even though he was an assassin he was a very peaceful person with deep religious beliefs. If Mordin can cure the Genophage without threats or costing thousands of lives then we can cure Kepral Syndrome doing the same. I don't know if I can do anything to help create the cure but I will have to make sure Kolyat knows he can ask me for any help needed._

"Jack. Do you know what kind of state the combat arena is in?" Shepard asked.

"Last I heard they were running tests on it to make sure it was still safe. Some sorry sucker was going to have to go in with no guarantee it would be a simulation like you, me and Grunt did after you broke the scoreboard." There was smirk on the biotic's face remembering the hard fight as the simulator malfunctioned with them inside of it. "Why? What are you thinking about doing?" The tattooed biotic stopped tattooing and looked to the N7. When she saw the thoughtful look on the commander's face her smirk became a broad smile, "You can't sign up for testing it Girl Scout. I heard they were going to do it later tonight."

A frown creased her lips, _damn. I'll have to wait until they're done testing then._ "And there I was thinking I could drag you and Miranda into testing it with me. It would be like a date for you two."

Jack rolled her eyes moving back in to finish up the tattoo, "Not like you have a set of armor right now anyways."

"I could always ask for a new set…and you didn't deny it being a date."

"No point. You'll keep saying it's a date anyways."

"True." Shepard smirked.

Once again Jack rolled her eyes, "Why do you want to go hit up the combat arena? Don't get me wrong I wouldn't mind letting loose a little but I know you have some reasoning for it."

The tattooed biotic was right; there was a reason she wanted to go to the combat arena. With all the repairs going on and credits needed for those repairs the redhead had to doubt that the funding the scientists searching for a cure were getting no longer came close to the same funding they had been receiving before.

Back before the final push the commander had received a lot of fan mail from people who watched the matches that took place inside the arena asking for different things from footage to charity. The former of the two had been an easy courtesy to give but the latter was something she had enjoyed doing.

Helping others was just something the N7 found satisfying. Using her innate ability to kick ass to help a charity for kids or something of that sort made it all the more pleasing.

As of late she had a lack of fan mail but that was due to being on the road of recovery as well as the arena needing repairs.

_It's not so bad. At least I don't have anyone confessing their love or telling me Kasumi isn't "right" for me._ Shepard wasn't sure how she would react when or if she ever received messages telling her to leave Kasumi because of whatever reason the person came up with. The most obvious response she could think of was to simply ignore the messages just as she did before.

Of course some would be upset that she didn't reciprocate their love, or what they believed was love, but they would eventually move on. _They'll find real love someday; I'm just not the one it will be with._

Her heart belonged to a certain thief and that was that.

Weird fan mail aside the N7 planned to enter the arena again but this time it would be to help get funding or bring more attention to the research for a Kepral Syndrome cure. It was the least she could do for now, _I'll have to ask Kolyat for the name of the project and the group working on it._

"My plan is to bring more awareness to Kepral Syndrome and the scientists researching for a cure. It would also be nice if it brought in more funding while people are feeling generous." Shepard answered the biotic.

Jack nodded, "Sounds good to me. I'll talk to the cheerleader and see when we can get a match set up. Thane went out kicking ass, I think it would be fair for us to kick the ass of that shitty disease he had until it's out of this galaxy." Shepard couldn't have put it better herself. The biotic turned off the tattoo gun, "Alright Girl Scout, we're done."

Shepard looked down at her wrist and grinned as the tattooed biotic stood up, "I love it." She stood up and pulled the biotic into a one armed hug using her right arm, "Thank you Jack."

Her friend gave her a small pat on the back then moved away, "Yeah yeah, you're welcome. No need to get all mushy on me."

Shepard couldn't stop her smile from broadening at the tattooed biotic calling her one armed hug "_getting mushy"_ on her. _I'd make a joke about her not minding if it was Miranda but I don't think she'll take the bait. _"Are you going to go see what your kids are up to?" Jack gave a nod, "Alright. I guess I'll start working on the reports I have to send to Hackett." Shepard wasn't looking forward to doing any sort of paperwork in what had recently been her down time but it was best to get a start on it now before it became a larger pile than it was.

There were still official reports to file on attacking the interior of the Illusive Mans base, the final push and then what she had experienced after Anderson lost consciousness. Most of it was going to end up confidential information and some of it she had already told to Hackett and Anderson.

When she handed the official report to Hackett the redhead had a feeling the old Admiral was going to hand it right back to her just as he did for the Alpha Relay incident. There were some things that the galaxy was better off not knowing about, such as the choice she was faced with.

Besides for those reports she had to finish filling out her report on everything that had happened with Saracino. Ghost, Allers and Bailey had each done their own reports of course so most, if not all, of the information she would put into her own report would already be known but there were some traditions the Alliance kept even in this state the galaxy was in.

Paperwork was one of those traditions that never left.

Jack smirked humorously at her, "Have fun."

"Oh yeah, I'm going to have a party." Shepard smirked as she sat back down and leaned towards the table full of data-pads. Her smirk a full blown evil planning smile as she grabbed a new data-pad, "You know, I could always use a secretary."

The tattooed biotic raised her hands in front of her as she took a step back, "Oh hell no. I have to fill out enough duty rosters without you adding more onto what paperwork I have to do."

"Come on Jack. Please." When Jack shook her head and took another step back Shepard began to mock pout, "Fine. I'm sure you have a date to bring Miranda on anyways, I can't step between you and true love."

"Shut up Shepard." Jack said with a roll of her eyes.

"No denial. It's okay if you two are an item Jack. This is a judgment free zone." The biotic again shook her head and gave her a small warning glare. "Alright I'll stop. If you see Prangley remind him to stop pushing himself so hard. Everyone needs to take a break."

The boy had been doing everything he could to help whether it was lifting rubble with his biotic's or other activities. When Kasumi and Shepard arrived to help Jack the day before the trio had found him nearly zapped of energy. He hadn't taken a break in days and he was using stims to stay awake under his teacher's noses.

Needless to say when Jack found out she had gone off on him. She was angry in a very protective way that only she could be when shouting and letting a few curses escape her. His heart was in the right place but his body and biotic's needed rest. Everyone had limits and as a teenager who had nowhere near as much training as Jack and Shepard had his limits were going to be significantly lower than theirs.

_I can't deny that I am surprised at how long he managed to go without a break. Even if he isn't as powerful as Jack or myself he still has a lot of potential. At least he and the other kids won't be thrown into a terrible war again._

Jack scowled at the reminder of Prangley pushing himself too far without her knowledge, "Oh believe me, Prangley hasn't heard the end of it yet."

"He needs to be able to walk straight Jack, so try not to verbally tear him a new one."

"I'll just sick Rodriguez on him. She can nag worse than the cheerleader." Jack said with a sadistic smile. "I should go make sure those squirts aren't getting into too much trouble. Later Shepard."

"See you later Jack." Shepard gave a small wave. As Jack began to leave the commander spoke up again, "I forgot to ask you earlier but who is the unlucky sucker testing out the combat arena?"

The tattooed biotic shrugged, "Didn't catch a name but after the shit we went through I hope they brought extra medi-gel."

Shepard nodded absently giving another goodbye as she focused on beginning to file the report on assaulting the Illusive Mans base. _She's right. Whoever it is will need extra medi-gel if it is as bad as it was when we had to do it._

She felt bad for whoever it was but she held hope the arena would hire or ask someone with a lot of combat skill to avoid any unneeded deaths.

_I'm sure they will be fine, _Shepard thought before beginning to get to work.

* * *

"Ghost is one crazy bastard." Miranda noted. Kasumi couldn't agree more as the duo began their walk back to Shepard's apartment. It was getting near midnight Earth time but the two women had found themselves busy the last few hours trying to help the combat arena techs fix their arena.

When they finally got it close enough where they were almost certain someone inside wouldn't be killed Ghost, Gallick and Kar offered their services to be the ones to fight off the simulations while they ensured everything was working.

Unfortunately the reprogramming had gone exactly as it had when Shepard, Jack and Grunt did it, which was pretty much poorly. The N7 Talons were stuck inside of the simulation for near on ten minutes fighting against Cerberus, Reapers, Collectors and Geth on different occasions and then sometimes at the same time.

To their credit the Talons didn't appear to be all that bothered by it, in fact Kasumi would have to say they looked like they were having a good time. _If it weren't for the fact Kar and Grunt have different voices I would have assumed it was our little berserkopath in there laughing manically._

Kar had destroyed every simulated enemy he ran into with his Striker Assault Rifle or by head-butting his way through them. Every enemy had a ticket punched for the pain train and Kar was their conductor who made sure they reached destination broken and defeated right on time.

Gallick was completely focused on the fight but somehow managed to look anything but. He managed to always stay one step ahead of the simulations even if he didn't appear to be planning anything.

At one point Kasumi had spied him sitting on the ground trying to light a cigarette in the middle of one of the fights against an Atlas that was right on the other side of the cover he was sitting behind.

For those watching it looked like he had a death wish but when it stepped closer to the cover the Batarian tossed a set of grenades over the barricade promptly tearing apart one of the Atlas's legs. He then grabbed his N7 Piranha stood up and unloaded the entire thermal clip into the simulated pilot.

Ghost was quick to call him a show off as he laughed hysterically at how casual Gallick was being; the Batarian merely shrugged then blew a perfect smoke O-ring.

Kasumi decided he was a badass and used the simulation announcer's voice to congratulate the Batarian on a nice kill then reprimand the other two for slacking.

Things continued like that for the Krogan and Batarian for the rest of the match as the trio worked together to keep the simulator running as the engineers tried fixing it.

What made Ghost a crazy bastard in the words of Miranda was how he ended their fight.

The man had switched between his Executioner Pistol, Black Widow and M-11 Suppressor off and on throughout the fight using them in conjunction with an enforcement gauntlet, a cloak and a set of tech attacks. For the most part he hadn't done anything too crazy during the fight; he mostly fought smart as he watched the battlefield carefully yelling out orders when they were needed.

At the end of the fight the N7 Talons had been facing three Scions, four Geth Juggernauts, one Cerberus Atlas and a Banshee. Before that they had a few husks, abominations and Phantoms but the trio made quick work of them leaving the harder hitting opponents for last.

Gallick had quickly stopped taking his time and smoking as he and Kar both became extremely serious. Ghost had already become serious when the Banshee showed up but as soon as the other large enemies showed up he appeared to be in a mindset for fighting a war. In a way it had been one for the squad taking much of their spare ammunition and all of Gallick's missile launcher ammunition to take out the three scions and Banshee.

_Had they been lucky they could have taken out most of them with one shot but that Banshee had really screwed up Gallick's shot._ The trio had been chased around by the Banshee leaving them to run and shoot to escape. When the Banshee wasn't chasing them they were dodging the shooting from the Atlas, Juggernauts and Scions.

FUBAR didn't quite cut it when it came to describing their situation.

The situation made it incredibly difficult for the Batarian to line up his shot without his shields being taken down with ease but eventually he managed to line up his targets. After they had taken down the Scions and Banshee there was an audible sigh of relief from all three of the warriors heard over the remaining gunfire.

They hadn't had to work so hard on any of the previous fights in the simulator and the thief had a feeling the screams of the Banshee brought back bad memories of the war. Neither of them faltered though, they regrouped counted their remaining thermal clips and came to a realization.

_"All we have left are a few rounds each? Damn it, why couldn't they just keep guns how they were in the old days before thermal clips? I never faced a crisis of reloading or no rounds left back then." _Ghost had groaned in agitation.

_"You forget to reload?"_ Gallick had questioned humorously.

_"Yeah when the switch first happened. I can't count how many times I thought I had fired five shots instead of six."_

_ "Ha! You never got to witness Pyjak's impotent rage Gallick?"_

_ "My impotent rage?"_ Ghost had sounded offended but Gallick and Kar were chuckling to themselves.

_"Tell you what Kar. We get out of this alive and I'll buy you some ryncol then you can tell me all about it."_

_"You got a deal Gallick."_

Kasumi found herself giggling as Ghost was stuck between being offended and wanting to defend himself. Instead of doing either he used his cloak disappearing from sight leaving his two teammates to scan the area for where he would reappear.

When he reappeared he was in front of the Atlas mech dodging under its swinging arm by scrambling down low on his hands and toes. After the initial dodge he again had to dodge away when it attempted to grab him but his dodge gave him an opening to continue his crazy idea.

He then grabbed onto the arm causing the pilot to try to get him off by swinging the arm around and attempting to squash him with the other. It would have been a laughable sight if it weren't for the fact the situation could leave the man dead if he failed to dodge.

Ghost was hanging on tightly to the Atlas mech as Gallick and Kar began opening fire on it to try to get its attention, buy their leader time and crack the canopy before they ran out of thermal clips. The purple eyed N7 managed to get on his feet and then jump to the glass canopy to which he smashed through using his enforcement gauntlet.

He broke through with ease leaving the N7 to keep the pilot in a chokehold with one arm as he used the other to use the main gun of the mech on the Juggernauts. Once he was finished he placed a Cain Mine on the pilot, saluted him, jumped out then detonated the mine destroying the Atlas mech and pilot completely.

_"Who's impotent rage now?"_

_"I think you were trying to overcompensate." _Kar had replied without blinking wearing a large grin.

Ghost shook his head and the simulation ended. They had managed to finally fix it all allowing the trio to step out unharmed despite the purple eyed N7 thinking it would be a good idea to climb an Atlas mech.

With everything fixed it the engineers were going to open the arena back up to everyone tomorrow and Ghost planned to do a few rounds when they did for charity and fun. Kasumi had a similar plan though hers was more of taking Shepard there on a date then charity. _Although if Shep has any charities she can dedicate it to I won't be against it._

"Ghost likes to pull crazy stunts like that sometimes." Kasumi told the former Cerberus operative. "I'm more surprised Shep hasn't done anything like that yet. I would have thought by now she would add "jumping on an Atlas while it's piloted" onto her list of crazy things done." She pursed her lips in thought, "Then again you can't really top facing down a Reaper on foot with nothing but a targeting laser. Not even Ghost can top that."

Miranda gave a tired laugh as they entered the elevator leading to their commander's apartment. "I don't think anyone can top that."

"Well not unless someone like Cerberus decides "hey lets revive a Reaper and try to control it, it will grant us unbelievable power." And then Shep goes out with a targeting laser to blow it to kingdom come, again." Kasumi said in a light-hearted manor.

"I don't think Shepard plans on fighting anything as large as a Reaper with just a targeting laser ever again." Miranda chuckled.

"She better not or she'll be in deep trouble when I find out." Kasumi crossed her arms over her chest as she mocked a serious face under her hood. The doors to the elevator opened allowing the two women to exit and head into the apartment. "I wonder if anyone is up."

The raven haired woman chuckled lightly, "Or just Shepard." She teased.

_Oh it's going to be like that, huh?_ Kasumi smirked mentally feeling almost too tired to do it outwardly. "No. I was wondering if Jack was too, for your sake that is. You two would make a cute couple if you got past this whole "sexual tension" stage." She supplied finger quotes for her mention of sexual tension.

If Miranda had the energy she would have glared but instead it came off as tired exasperation. "Not tonight Kasumi."

"Oh fine. Party pooper." She pouted. Truth be told the thief herself was extremely tired and wanted nothing more than to cuddle up in bed with her lover. She hadn't expended a lot of energy; her internal clock was merely reminding her that everyone needed to sleep at some point.

They entered the apartment to find it mostly dark save for the artificial fire place providing a little light. It illuminated the one person in the room who was also nose deep in a data-pad by the look of it.

"Leave it to Shepard to be working this late." Miranda mused. She looked to the thief, "I trust you two will be fine without my company?"

Before she could answer the raven haired woman offered a tired goodnight and left to go to her room. Kasumi made her way over to her lover but when she reached her she couldn't help but smile.

_Out like a light._

She crouched down next to the sleeping woman who still had a data-pad in hand and a large set on the table nearby. _Must've been some really great material she was reading to leave her like this._ The thief slid the data-pad from her hand and put it on the table without reading the contents, it was not her business and she was too tired to read it even if it was.

Kasumi reached her hand up brushing fingers gently across Shepard's cheek moving the strands of her hair behind her ear as she did. The redhead stirred a small blush forming on her cheeks, "Kasumi." She whispered quietly.

"How'd you know?" Kasumi asked playfully continuing to caress her cheek.

"It's…it's in how you touch me. Tender…loving." She responded.

Shepard was barely managing to hold the short conversation her voice remaining drowsy. Her eye lids were struggling to stay barely creaked open and that was enough to tell Kasumi her mind was trying to pull her back into dreamland. Despite that she still managed to make the thief's cheeks begin to warm from the blush coating them. "Honey tongue." She whispered then pressed her lips gently against the redhead's forehead. "Don't go anywhere, I'll be right back."

"I'll be here."

The hooded woman smiled to herself and left the commander on the couch as she went to prepare their bed. Although she was tired it didn't take long to get up the stairs or pull the large cover and sheet back. That was really all the preparation needed other than getting undressed but Kasumi wasn't planning on walking around the apartment in her underwear while their friends still occupied it with them.

_Talk about awkward._

Once she was done she made her way back down to the N7 who was once again asleep. The thief smiled lovingly at the out cold commander, she couldn't help but find her extremely cute when she was fast asleep. _Only one way I'm getting her to our bed._ She bent over putting one arm behind Shepard's back and the other under her legs picking her up bridal style before beginning the walk to the bedroom.

As she walked the redhead nestled in her arms laying her head on the master thief's bosom. _It's different to be so role reversed where she's cuddling against me instead of the other way around. _She smiled down at the redhead, _but I like it a lot. She's beautiful when she's strong for me as well as when she allows me to be strong for her, even if I'm just carrying her to bed._

One of the rarest sights in the galaxy was Shepard allowing herself to be vulnerable, or carried by someone else for that matter. She was an amazingly strong woman in and out of combat. The first time the thief had ever seen her truly vulnerable was after the Alpha Relay incident when she went to see if she wanted a friend or to be alone.

She had found her in her cabin sitting on the edge of her bed holding her head in her hands as she cried silently.

Shepard was not a loud sufferer.

It didn't really matter if it was physical pain or emotional from what Kasumi had seen of her during the Suicide Mission and after. She would suffer in silence without anyone knowing all for the sake of keeping up her unbreakable Commander Shepard persona. People needed to believe she could weather any storm and not flinch even if it was raining needles.

But her silent pain was deafening when you were a witness to it. _You get so used to seeing her strong that when you see her in pain you are frozen in shock,_ Kasumi thought. She hadn't even known the commander was crying until she was right next to her and that's when she found herself frozen at seeing the unbreakable Commander finally break.

Breaking out of the stasis field of shock wasn't easy but the hooded woman had managed to do it. Instead of offering words Kasumi sat down on the bed next to her and wrapped the woman up in a hug holding her and rubbing her back for a few hours until Shepard had managed to put the pieces of her heart and its fortress back together.

Thinking back to that day made Kasumi wonder if that was the day the N7 had begun to fall for her…and if it was the day she too had begun to fall for the gorgeous redhead. As she held her friend at the time the thief could remember a warmth in her chest growing. _Deep down I think I was yearning to be able to hold her like that, I remember enjoying being able to be there for her…but I think I also thoroughly enjoyed holding her in my arms._

That was the first time the master thief had ever seen Shepard vulnerable, the next was during their final talk before the end of the war. The N7 had done her best to hide it along with all the feelings and words she truly wished to say but Kasumi had noticed a helplessness under it all.

Seeing it had in turn caused her to ask her to promise to come back. She could recall how desperate she felt for the sky blue eyed commander to promise she would come back. Looking back now after everything that transpired afterwards it was quite frankly embarrassing how daft the thief was to her own feelings let alone Shepard's.

Of course she wanted her friend to come back in one piece but her feelings had been deeper than that, she had just been completely oblivious to them.

In the end everything had worked out for the best and what Kasumi had found herself admiring now was an at peace vulnerability that was pleasant instead of the painful versions of the past. _I've seen it a few times as I've touched and kissed my way up and down her body. Usually at that point in time her eyes are also full of lust, which makes her even sexier._

Thinking of the look in her lovers eyes of pure longing and desire mixed together sent pleasurable shivers down her spine. Warmth began to make its way to her cheeks as it did when she would see those feelings in her eyes.

The warmth was accompanied by a new line of thought for the thief. _I should pin her against the wall and kiss her tomorrow, see what kind of response I get out of her._ _She did it to me once and I shamelessly admit that I almost swooned. I still remember how badly I was blushing and the warmth spreading across my entire body as her perfect sky blue eyes stared into mine. Her smile was cheeky at seeing how I was affected but it was amazing as well._

The hooded woman looked down to the woman in her arms. She was still resting peacefully against her chest and had the smallest blissful smile on her face, _but that's tomorrow. Right now I'll take pleasure in holding her through the night._ She kissed her lover on the nose as she brought her into their room.

She laid the commander down gently then sat her up, "Come on Ana; let's get your top off." Kasumi whispered as she moved the black wifebeater up her stomach. The N7 complied gripping the shirt and taking it off with Kasumi's help. They then moved to her shorts and it was then the thief noticing something new on her lovers left wrist.

At first she thought she was seeing things but then she saw the flash of color again. _Did she get a new tattoo?_ Curiosity filled her but she stopped herself from checking right away.

Before she investigated she folded Shepard's clothes and put them on the nightstand then undressed herself so they were both in their underwear. Once done she sat down on the edge of the bed where the now curled up N7 was lying near.

Her sky blue eyes were opened, barely, and when the thief took her left arm into her hands she let out a contented sigh closing her eyes as she did. Kasumi found the new tattoo on her left wrist and couldn't help but gasp her lover's name, "Ana."

There was a sort of victorious smile on Shepard's face but she offered no explanation leaving her lover to examine the tattoo again. On her wrist directly below the palm of her hand was a red rose and stem laid horizontally across it–the flower petals on the right side and the stem leading off towards the left.

On one of the top petals was _Kasumi_ and on one of the bottom was _Goto._ Across the stem leading towards the flower were the words _I'm yours, forever._ It was colored in as normal red rose was while the words were in black cursive writing. For such a simple looking tattoo Kasumi couldn't help but find it breath taking.

She was displaying her love for the thief with pride, like a badge of honor but it was Kasumi who felt honored by this show of love.

Part of her couldn't believe Shepard had done it. Any rational thought about tattooing names she had had always ran along the lines of not to do it. It was impossible to know if you would really be with the person you tattooed forever and most people who did it ended up regretting it later on.

Despite all that there was an understanding the hooded woman felt reading the words. Although neither planned to leave one another Shepard was making it know that even if they ever did separate, whether through death or some other way, her heart would always belong to Kasumi.

_Just as my heart will always belong to her._ Kasumi placed her lips against the palm of her lover's hand kissing it tenderly; _she always finds a way to fill me with a love I can scarcely describe. My heart beats stronger because of her, and now it's beating faster thanks to her._ The thief brought the palm of the N7s hand to her chest laying it on top of her heart. Shepard smiled contently as the pulse reached her hand, "Can you feel what you do to me?"

"Yes…but know you do the same to me. Every time I think of you my heart feels stronger." Shepard whispered.

Kasumi removed her hand and laid down pulling the cover over both of them before turning over to face her lover. Her eyes were closed but her smile had not left. Under the covers her hand moved slowly up the thief's leg across her hip to her side and then down her forearm to her hand.

They intertwined their fingers and Kasumi leaned her head forward so their foreheads were touching. The two remained there breathing in the others scent as the thief of the two rubbed her thumb up and down the top of her lover's hand. "Kasumi."

"Hmm."

"How do you say I love you in Japanese?" Her lover asked quietly.

"They don't really use the phrase to express their love for another person that often, I never have outside of saying it in English. The Japanese as a people are still very traditional to this day and prefer not to express their love openly through words. That doesn't mean they don't fall in love or ever show their love for someone, you just won't hear a traditional Japanese person say it to someone they recently met or in public. To say it would be _really _improper."

Shepard furrowed her brow keeping her eyes closed as she did, "You say _they_ and _them _instead of _we_ when referring to the Japanese. Do you not consider yourself Japanese?"

"I consider myself a person first and foremost." She kissed the commander on the lips then resumed resting their foreheads together. "By descent I am and I know both Japanese and English but to say I'm traditional Japanese wouldn't be true."

Saying she was a traditional anything wouldn't be true. Kasumi liked a lot of different cultures but she had never been one for staying true to a single cultures practices or beliefs. Rules weren't really anything she had made a habit of following. "I enjoy some of the culture just as I enjoy some Quarian and Turian culture. I don't like the barriers cultural differences cause. I don't mind people who care about where they come from, it's important to remember your heritage but I think it is also important not to be blinded by it. There is much we can learn from each other."

"True. So there isn't a phrase for it?"

"No there is. I just felt like telling you how informal it would be in case you fell in love with another cute Japanese girl who followed a more traditional line of speech that way you wouldn't make things awkward. I wouldn't want you to look bad." Kasumi quipped.

"_Kasumi._" The N7 chided tiredly.

The thief giggled and nudged her Shep's nose with her own. "I'm teasing. I already told you Ana, I'm yours just as you are mine. There are a few ways to say you love something or someone but the one you're looking for is used mostly in anime, songs and stories. Aishiteru wa."

"Aishiteru wa?"

Kasumi giggled softly kissing her tired lover on the lips, "It's not a question Ana."

Shepard smiled and kissed her back, "You try pronouncing a word you've never spoken before and we'll see if you sound like you're making a question or not." After a few seconds of staring at the eyelids of her sleepy lover the thief turned onto her back and pulled Shepard closer to her so her head was resting over her heart. "I don't think I've had the honor of using your breast as a pillow before."

"Well tonight you can." Kasumi placed a kiss on the top of the redheads head, "I love you."

"Aishiteru wa, Kasumi."

Even if it was completely informal the master thief didn't care, she loved hearing the words roll off her tired lover's tongue. "Eien, I'm yours." She responded quietly.

"What does that mean?" Her lover asked curiously.

"I'm yours, forever." Kasumi could feel Shepard smiling as she began to let sleep take her. "Quick question Ana."

"Hmm?"

"Should I use a sharpie and write _property of Anastasia Shepard_ on my arm?" Her lover began to laugh quietly into her chest and after sharing one last kiss both women let sleep take them.

**A/N: Once again I used an online translator so if any of the Japanese is wrong I apologize. Thanks for reading!**


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Whenever You Need Me

Kasumi opened her eyes slowly as she woke from sleep. The room around her was dark and the only sounds she could hear were both her breathing and Shepard's. That alone was enough to tell her it was still too early to wake up.

Her dreams had been peaceful and the warmth of Shepard's body next to her was comforting yet there was something wrong. There was a foreboding sense she felt in her heart warning her not to simply go back to sleep.

She was needed it seemed to be implying.

In her sleepy haze she began to take into account her senses, the location of the two sleeping bodies in the bed and if there were any unwanted people in the room. First and foremost there was no imminent threat she could hear or see. A small wave of relief came over her but just as it did she became aware of a shift in location of her lover's body compared to how they went to sleep hours before.

She remembered carrying her Shep to the bed and switching their usual sleeping positions so she holding her instead of the other way around. Different as it was it was also really comfortable. Being the one to carry Shepard and the cute way she cuddled into her made Kasumi smile into whatever it was she was lying on. _She was so adorable. _

It touched her heart to see the sleepy vulnerable redhead and their last conversation before letting sleep take them was nice. Answering her questions involving how to express her love in Japanese was thoroughly enjoyable. Finding the new tattoo and then getting lost in their embrace were far more satisfying events though.

The thoughts made her heart beat along pleasantly almost allowing her to forget entirely about why she had woken up in the first place.

_Focus Kasumi, if you are needed then you can't fall back asleep._ After chastising herself for losing focus she returned back to figuring out the new sleeping arrangement they were in. She found herself on her side with her head comfortably lying on what was without a doubt Shepard's stomach. What made Kasumi utterly certain of what she was lying on were her eyes staring across the wondrous plain of her lover's abs while her arm rested across her waist.

It took a lot of willpower to resist the urge to start tracing her index finger over Shepard's stomach. They were right in her face _begging _for her to touch them, her lover's body was simply perfect and it was truly hard to resist touching it now. The next urge was to start pressing kisses on her stomach and make her way up or down the fit body she was cuddling against. _Resist. Must resist…for now._

For the time being she let her lips brush against Shepard's stomach for a brief moment. There would without a doubt be time later to admire her flawless body and do all the things she wished to do right now. _I do prefer to see Shep's face when I wake up but…_She let her eyes trace up the N7s plain of abs to the amazing small hills a bit north of them, _this isn't a bad sight to wake up to either._ She laughed mentally lacking the energy to do it outwardly.

What had woken her up was not this change of position though. Her body had unconsciously put her here and it was quite comfortable even if she wished her head was a little bit higher. _If I was lying on her chest I would be in range of capturing those amazing lips. Abs are nice unconscious mind but her lips are better damn it,_ she pouted.

To feel the redhead's body quake under her touch, to feel her warm breath brush against her skin. To capture the lips blessed by Aphrodite herself in an eternal lip lock.

The thief fought against the rising warmth and titillating thoughts and images crossing her mind but it almost seemed futile. Everything she wanted to do was attainable if she would just let go of the restraints on her sexual desires right now.

In the end what stopped her from embracing it all and what had woken her up was the feeling of a trembling hand gently running through and on top of her hair. Sometimes the hand would move down her bare arm or brush against her cheek when moving strands of hairs that had fallen. The touch was tender and made her shiver unnoticeably,_ Shep, if you've been touching me like this for a long time without me being awake you are going to be in big trouble. You know your touch is something I love._

While part of the thief wished to pretend she was asleep and lower her hand between Shepard's legs to see what kind of reaction she'd get out of the woman – she couldn't bring herself to do it. As funny as it would be to see her reaction to the thief doing that as she was "asleep" her heart and soul was in dire need of her comfort.

Kasumi could see Shepard's face from where she was lying and the woman was wide awake with a very fragile and faraway look in her eyes. Her magnificent eyes were a tad bit watery and her red locks appeared to be damp with sweat.

Her right hand seemed to be unconsciously touching the thief while her left hand was clenched tightly in front of her. Hanging out of her left hand was the familiar chain belonging to her N7 tags.

It was then she realized that Shepard was sitting up against a pillow which caused Kasumi to be using her stomach as a pillow instead of how they were sleeping originally or on her chest. Another thing Kasumi noticed was her lover's eyes were staring at her left hand yet they weren't really seeing anything.

They were just staring into a black abyss and it was a bit frightening.

When her right hand began to go to her hair again Kasumi reached up and grabbed it softly. She brought it around to her lips and pressed a kiss against the palm of her Shep's hand. Seeing her in the state she was disheartening and she planned to do whatever she could to help.

Shepard shook a little clearly startled by the movement but not displeased. The thief nuzzled into her hand for a moment hoping to grant her some comfort before sitting up and scooting back to her lover, "And here I thought I would get to see you wake up in the morning. It would have been quite the sight judging on the smile you always have when you see me wake up." She teased in a low whisper.

Shepard lowered her left hand her head dropping with it as she gave a sad smirk, "Sorry…I didn't mean to wake you."

Seeing the redhead disappointed in herself had not been the reason for her tease. Causing her lover to feel any negative emotion from something she said was never in her agenda.

Waking up was not a big deal, especially when Shepard was in need of her being awake. "Ana, I was teasing." She brought her hand to her lover's chin gently using the tips of her fingers to lift her head and turn it so she could look her in the eyes.

When their eyes met the thief noticed the almost haunted look in her lover's eyes. It was a look she decided was not going to stay for much longer as long as she had a say in the matter. _Must have been one hell of a nightmare._ After experiencing the horrors of the Reaper War Kasumi was actually surprised this was the first time the commander had been shaken up by one.

Normally the master thief considered herself a light sleeper and ever since they started sharing a bed there had not been any incidents like this. Shepard hadn't said or shown that she was having any either and had promised not to hide it.

Still despite the haunted look in the redhead's eyes the thief found herself admiring her beauty. This woman who she had stolen the heart of was magnificent._ She's stunning. A goddess…_She hid away her own smirk as her next thought came into mind, _my goddess whom I have no problem worshipping. _It would have been weird for her to start laughing in this moment so the thief stopped it from coming out and focused back on the beauty in front of her.

She had intended to get closer but it was only now she realized their lips were inches away. Kasumi silently glided the tips of her fingers from Shepard's chin to her lips forcing down her need to capture them with her own.

Finding out what was wrong was important and she couldn't let herself or Shepard get sidetracked. It would be all too easy to let herself crash their lips together and get lost in all the desires she was beginning to feel as she stared into the gorgeous sky blue eyes staring back at her. It would be too easy to convince herself it would make whatever was wrong go away and be forgotten forever.

No, she needed to talk to the N7 and figure out exactly what was wrong and then what they could do together to help her. Kasumi moved her hand slowly from Shepard's lips to her cheek cupping it, "You are a beautiful goddess." Shepard blushed and smiled, "What's wrong Ana?"

"Just a bad nightmare."

That much was obvious but she stopped herself from making a quip about it. _She's really bothered by it…I haven't seen Ana look this fragile since right before the final push._ "On a scale from Javik as a comedian to a Banshee scream, how bad?"

"Which one is the worst option?" Shepard asked with genuine laugh. It was a good start but helping her was going to take a little more. Nightmares had an ability to shake up the strongest people preying on worst fears or replaying terrible memories. The commander let her laugh dissipate for a troubled sigh, "Banshee scream."

"Do you want to talk about specifics?" Her lover shook her head and that was enough for Kasumi to drop all questions revolving around it. Sometimes talking about a nightmare only gave it room to breathe and this one needed to be suffocated in silence.

The task in Kasumi's hands now was to keep her Shep from thinking about it and help her get back to sleep. Getting her to sleep without worrying about going back into the nightmare would possibly be difficult yet she was ready to give it a try. _I won't let this cause her more sleepless nights. She had enough of those during the war and if I can't help then I'll stay up all night with her if I have to._

There was no way she was going to leave for a peaceful dreamland while Shepard was visibly bothered and hurt from what she had dreamt. _I left her alone one time too many, _her stare hardened thinking of her decision to stay off the Normandy, _I won't be doing that again. Never again._

Kasumi softened her eyes when the redheaded beauty raised a confused eyebrow. "I'm here for you Ana. Just tell me what you need."

"Ca- can you just hold me."

The thief smiled and gave a nod. That was something she could absolutely do for the rest of the night if she had to. Being held by the N7 had always granted her comfort, if she could possibly return the favor then she was all for it. "Never be afraid to ask me that." Kasumi smirked, "You know I can't resist touching you."

Shepard smiled then leaned in closing the small distance that had been between them. When their lips met the desire induced part of her mind wished to take over. The feel of her lover's soft warm lips against her own was almost overpowering.

The moment she parted her lips with her tongue and it entered her mouth she nearly lost all control. All of her body felt awake and alive, something only Shepard had ever made her feel through a kiss or a gentle touch.

Stopping them both from continuing was difficult but she managed to do it. Kissing her and feeding all of her desires could wait until morning when Shepard wasn't recovering from a nightmare.

The N7 seemed to understand her reason for not continuing their kiss although she seemed just as disappointed as Kasumi felt. "Here." Shepard unbundled her dog tags from her hand and put them around the thief's neck. She smiled at her, "I've had to hog them recently, but they belong around your neck."

Having the familiar weight around her neck again was comforting. She had given them back as she had always planned to do when the commander needed to wear them for some of the first briefings she had. Not having them anymore had been different but they weren't hers.

They belonged to her Shep.

"But they're yours. They belong to you Ana."

"Right, and now I've given them to you." Shepard moved away for a brief moment only to readjust herself so she was between Kasumi's legs with her back against the thief's chest. She brought her knees closer to her chest cuddling into the thief resting her head on her bosom. "It's to make sure I'm always with you, no matter how far apart we may be."

Those words were as heartwarming as they were worrying. Kasumi wanted to ask what the nightmare she had was of that caused her to believe they would be apart in what sounded like a death sort of way but chose against asking.

They had already decided not to talk about it and she wasn't entirely sure she wanted to hear what happened in the nightmare. If it was enough to shake Shepard then it was probably best not to talk about it. Shepard wasn't denying she had a nightmare by saying she was fine and she had given the thief a way to help – that alone was a giant step forward from her wartime attempts to assure she was fine.

Kasumi closed her eyes as she let her head lean to the side her cheek meeting the forehead of Shepard's turned head. Neither moved both enjoying the feel of their warm embrace and closeness to one another. The thief laid her right arm across the top of her lover's chest and used her left hand to cradle her head. The redhead gripped the thief's right arm softly giving it an affectionate squeeze to show her appreciation for the comfort.

"I'll always be here for you Ana, whenever you need me. You'll never be alone." She placed a kiss on her forehead then returned to her original position.

"…Promise?"

Her quiet voice made Kasumi's heart ache. She was truly vulnerable right now, her voice thick with the pain left over from the dream. The grip on her arm grew tighter with the question causing the thief to unconsciously hold her lover tighter. She wanted to make her embrace a place where the redhead could find shelter from all of her pain or doubts. To make it a place where she could be safe when she felt vulnerable. "I promise." Shepard nuzzled into her chest making her smile. "Want to pinky promise?" She tried to alleviate the mood.

There was a soft chuckle from the woman she was holding. "I love you Kasumi."

"I know you do. Go to sleep my beautiful goddess. I'll protect you from the boogeyman."

"Kasumi you don-"

"Shh." Kasumi placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "You've been the invincible hero who never lets anyone take care of you for so long Ana. I'm not asking you to change who you are because who you are is beautiful. All I am asking is for you to let me be your strength when you're hurting. To let me be your invincible hero when you feel most vulnerable, even if it is only for a moment…because you're always my invincible hero when I need you most."

Velvet lips pressed at the corner of her lips. "Okay." Kasumi smiled at the response.

It was all she needed to hear to know Shepard would allow her the luxury of taking care of her when she needed her most. "Go to sleep. I'll sleep when I know you are."

Without any more conversation the two remained in their embrace for the rest of the night. Kasumi stayed awake for a little while longer after she noticed the softening of Shepard's breathing and her body relax against her own.

For some time she simply watched the N7 sleep not daring to caress her cheek or arms out of fear it would wake her from her now peaceful slumber. She needed her sleep and Kasumi was content merely holding her as she was.

Eventually sleep came for the thief as well and once again she plunged into the world of loving dreams involving her, her Shep and all the time in the galaxy to share their love.

* * *

Shepard let her eyes flutter open when her internal clock began ringing to inform her it was time to wake up. Shutting it off or destroying it was not an option unfortunately although the latter of the two was the reason why she did not have a real alarm clock.

The last one had met a terrible end when she crushed it with her biotic's.

"Morning beautiful." A loving voice cooed.

She smiled letting her eyes meet Kasumi's. "Morning." She was still comfortably cuddled up against her thief. Affectionate arms held her close as they had for the entire night giving her security and shelter from the terrible nightmare that had plagued her hours before. She nuzzled into Kasumi's neck not wishing to leave the warmth or the safety her arms gave her. "My invincible hero."

Kasumi chuckled. It was a lovely sound and made her heart beat a little faster. The redhead knew she would never grow tired of hearing her lover's soft laugh or the feeling it gave her. "The way your eyes flutter open when you begin to wake up is really cute." The thief had a smile on her face and in her voice.

Shepard began to feel warmth rising to her face at being called cute. Normally she would have struck down the notion that she was _cute_. Calling her cute had always felt more like an insult then a compliment, yet it was one Kasumi had gotten away with time and again since their time on the SR-2.

When she said the word it seemed to strip her of all her defenses both verbal and figurative. Truthfully the N7 hated feeling vulnerable, she couldn't afford to be vulnerable during the war or even before it and it really wasn't her anyways. All of the trials she had faced in life had strengthened her mentally, emotionally and physical to a point where vulnerability wasn't really a part of her anymore.

There usually wasn't much she couldn't handle with a gun, a quip and a smirk.

She hadn't become cold hearted soldier but she wasn't some dainty flower needing to be taken care of. That was the last thing she wanted someone to think and if her actions hadn't proven otherwise then someone needed to tell her so she could be frank with the person who did not understand.

As long as it wasn't Kasumi that is. When it came to her lovable thief she had a lot more leeway when it came to things she could get away with for multiple reasons.

The only person who had ever seen her cry was Kasumi. Even after losing Thane, Mordin, Legion and Ashley she had not allowed herself to shed tears in front of anyone. _Remain strong, they need you to be strong _had become her chant in times of tragedy.

And strong she remained carrying around the sorrow in her heart without releasing. She never allowed anyone to take care of her or help her shoulder the burden by letting her vent for more than a few seconds.

No, she had to be strong.

Faltering was not among her options. She now found it sad that she had considered being human _faltering_ during those times.

Now was different though. She was finally being allowed to show she was not invincible all the time without backlash. Her lover had made it quite clear it was okay and she wanted to be her strength when it was caused by things like nightmares.

When Kasumi was the one causing it though she did not feel uncomfortable or as if the thief thought her a dainty flower that would fall over with a small breeze. It made her heart beat a little faster and reminded her of tender moments they shared as they made love.

Moments where her body demanded her to follow instead of lead. Moments where she watched the thief kissing up her body as she admired her or stared up at her watching her react to her actions.

When she listened to her body and heart during those tantalizing moments she was overcome by layers of emotions as waves of pleasure crashed through her body.

Tears had cascaded down her face the first time they had made love yet instead of questioning anything Kasumi smiled a tender smile. So many emotions flooded her as her mind thought back to how close she came to losing her own life and the thief – her thief.

Memories of their final talk before the final push and the emotions welled up inside her came flooding back. Memories of the decisions in front of her and how badly she wanted to tell Kasumi she loved her but knew she could not because she would die. Waking up to find the war over and Kasumi there by her side willing to give her a chance to experience all of her dreams of being in love with her. Their first kiss, their dance and Kasumi admitting her love for her.

As the thoughts pelted her at lightspeed she could no longer hold back the tears of joy she had been holding back for too long.

She had at first thought herself foolish for the tears, she thought she had ruined the entire night but the thief moved back up to her wiping away the tears and kissing her passionately. _"You are positively the most beautiful woman I've ever had the honor of meeting and falling in love with." _She had whispered.

With that one statement her whole body quivered. She had not said it to say it. Shepard had witnessed Kasumi admiring her body as she was seemingly memorizing every inch of her by touch. Knowing the lithe thief thought her beautiful even as she had tears running down her face had reinvigorated Shepard to continue.

Allowing herself to be vulnerable was not a normal occurrence for her…yet as she curled up in the arms of her lover she couldn't help but enjoy it.

Here she could just be Anastasia.

Here she could just be Kasumi's Ana.

"I could stay like this all day." Shepard whispered.

Lips pressed against her forehead, "So could I. If you ever need this, all you need to do is ask."

"You make it easy to ask." There was no jest in her voice. Kasumi really did make asking to do this or anything at all easy. She felt comfortable around the usually hooded woman and when they were alone away from prying eyes she felt safe enough to allow all of her tough exterior down.

"Only the best for you my dear commander. I would not wish to disappoint my superior officer. Think of the drama that would cause." Shepard laughed which in turn led to Kasumi laughing with her. When their laughing died down to a soft chuckle she kissed the bottom of her thief's neck.

Staying in the embrace for the rest of the day would have been satisfying but duty did call. The galaxy still needed to be fixed. "We have to get up, don't we?" Shepard asked not truly wanting the truth.

"Unfortunately. I do thoroughly enjoy having you in my arms but the galaxy needs us to apply a lot more Band-Aids." The N7 chuckled then sighed at the truth in her statement. She nodded without moving to leave. Then again Kasumi also made no move to leave holding her closer as her steady breaths made it known how at peace she was.

_Only if we could dim the lights and light some candles. _

There was a soft chuckle alarming the redhead to the fact her inner thought had been spoken out loud. "My sappy romance ideas have rubbed off on you. My corruption has finally taken hold!" Shepard blushed as her thief kissed her forehead, "Care to join me in the shower my dear commander."

"Anything for you my hero."

Kasumi gave a nervous chuckle, "Keep up with that nickname and your sexy voice and you'll have me swooning before we reach the shower."

Not wishing to pass up the moment to keep her lover blushing – as she was undoubtedly doing – she craned her neck to look back at her, "But if you swoon, what am I to do? You are my strength _my hero_. You know exactly how to protect me from harm." She inched closer to her lips, "Your kisses give me life." She inched closer so their lips were practically touching, "You wouldn't leave me to shower _alone,_ would you?"

Her initial plan consisted of turning away at the last second and making a tease but being so close to her clouded all of those plans. For a moment they stared into one another's eyes and in that moment the redhead felt her lips begin to quiver in desire filled anticipation.

She wasn't sure who kissed who first but it didn't matter in the end. Their lips had met with burning fervor and that was all that mattered now. With one hand she cupped Kasumi's cheek keeping her from breaking the kiss. Her thief glided her hands down her sides then traced their way across her stomach until they both cupped her bra covered breasts.

Shepard bit her own lip as Kasumi began to fondle them but she reengaged the kiss only to have her bottom lip sucked in and nibbled on gently. When they eventually came up for air after kissing passionately for an extended time period the two women shared satisfied smiles. "So much for getting up." Shepard quipped.

"You started it."

"We can always take this into the shower. It might be a bit more fun." She offered.

Kasumi smiled, "You just want to get me naked, don't you?"

The redhead had walked herself into that one but she didn't mind it. She began to give a lopsided grin, "Well that might have been part of it. But don't deny you were thinking along the same lines."

Her thief leaned in closer but didn't kiss her, "Maybe. But then again if I wanted you naked I would have gotten you naked already."

Hearing the matter of fact tone Kasumi had made Shepard begin to blush. "Is that so?" Her bra suddenly unclasped without her noticing the thief's hands suddenly not cupping her breasts. "How did yo-"

"Best thief in the galaxy. These quick hands can and have gotten into far more…secure areas." Kasumi winked bringing her hands to her shoulders as she helped the straps of her bra slide off of her shoulders. The redhead blushed slightly but allowed her lovable thief the victory this time. In a scenario like this there was no use fighting against Kasumi.

She had won fair and square and this victory would give them both pleasure.

"You're not going to tied me to the bed now, are you?"

Part of the commander realized how badly she was going to regret asking the question right as the words left her mouth but by then it was too late. Her lover smiled, "Only if you want me too." She winked again.

Images of herself tied to the bed allowing Kasumi free reign to do as she pleased made her shudder with pleasurable tingles at the erotic thought. A blush coated her cheeks and that only fueled the smile on the lithe thief's face to become a full-blown grin.

As much as the thought of Kasumi touching her body was arousing she decided being tied down was not required or desired. That was a little past her boundaries on vulnerability. "I- I'd rather not."

The thief nodded, "Okay. I'm not really into the whole tying up thing either." She smiled, "But to see the thoughts cross your mind was entertaining. It's so cute when you think dirty thoughts and blush."

"You are too." She kissed her on the lips. Much to both of their displeasure she backed off after a few moments, "Shower?" Kasumi nodded and the duo got out of the bed. They entered the bathroom together and undressed hopping into the shower once the water was on and warm.

The thief encircled the redhead's waist with her arms from behind and guided them forward into the warm water nuzzling into her neck as she did. Shepard allowed herself to relax back into her arms as she rested her arms on top of Kasumi's. She felt her lover smile into her neck before placing kisses up it to her ear. "Whatever you need Ana, just ask." She whispered into her ear.

"I need you here, with me."

"I will never leave you again, no matter what. I promise." Kasumi replied lovingly. Her voice made Shepard's eyes water until the tears brimmed over down her cheeks.

Her nightmare had not been of the thief running away or dying or any of their friends dying. It wasn't the old nightmare either; instead it had been of her own death. It wouldn't have been so bad if it wasn't for the fact Kasumi had been holding her and sobbing as the life left her.

The sound was painful and still echoed in her ears.

Some would say instinct should be telling her to get Kasumi as far away as possible so that would never be possible. The problem with that was in her dream she had in fact told the thief to leave what she assumed was years before causing her more heartache in the dream then she thought possible. At the time of her death in the dream Kasumi had come to help her despite what she had said, but she was already dying at that time.

Twice in the dream she had broken her thief's heart, first by leaving her behind and the second by dying in her arms with words of love in her final breaths.

It was painful even now to think about it but instead of trying to ignore the feelings she instead turned around in her thief's arms and wrapped her arms around her neck in a warm hug. She rested her head on her shoulder and when she did Kasumi leaned her head softly onto hers and held her tightly.

They did not speak yet words were unneeded now. The comfort and security she felt in her lover's arms was all she needed to help her regain her own strength.

_I will never make that mistake and I will not cause her that pain._

Eventually they detached their hug and continued on to love one another but their silent embrace had spoken the words they did not.

_I will always be here for you, whenever you need me._

_ You have always been with me. Through everything._

_I love you with all my heart Anastasia Shepard._

_And my heart is yours Kasumi Goto. Forever._


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

The Countdown Begins

Shepard let out a grunt as she pulled herself back up to the top of the pull-up bar. Once her chin was above the bar she slid her shoulders left bringing her face in line with her left hand then slid them right to her right hand. From here she slid back to the center of the bar bringing her face closer to it once she was there then pulling back a good distance before lowering herself again.

This was her thirteenth corn cob pull-up after cranking out one hundred and ninety pull-ups beating her original record of one hundred and eighty-three and James' record of one hundred and eighty-two. Alongside the pull-ups she had done around eighty push-ups and punched the crap out of her punching bag.

Needless to say her body was aching right about now but she wanted to get to fifteen.

There was no specific reason for why she wanted that number. James wasn't punching on the bag goading her into doing more and Jack wasn't in the room telling her she had to complete anything. Shepard was alone at the moment just trying to reach a number for the sake of staying in good shape.

Usually she did try to get a workout in whether it was yoga or a mixture of pull-ups, tormenting her punching bag, push-ups, sit-ups and the like. Today she had chosen the latter option and was almost done with her pull-ups leaving only sit-ups left.

It was pretty extreme and she knew if she didn't stretch afterwards her body was really going to hate her tomorrow. _Or I'm going to hate myself._ Shepard chuckled then pulled herself up again going through the same motions as before until she was back to hanging normally on the bar.

With the news she received from Hackett keeping her body in tip top shape was important. If they were all lucky Priority: Galaxy Repairs would be a go within the next week or two. Kasumi had teased her about the lame name for a mission but she was excited just as Shepard was about what it meant.

The Relay was repaired and if it worked then it was time to start repairs on the galactic level. In two days' time they were going to send a probe through the currently activated Relay. If it didn't get destroyed or wrecked beyond all belief then they were going to start sending repair teams with military escorts to every point the Sol Relay could reach.

All of this meant finally getting back on the Normandy to reconnect the galaxy. Shepard didn't care if it meant the ship simply floated around in space while the repair teams worked. A nice easy job was something she looked forward to after constant suicidal odds against the death harbingers.

They would finally be able to help the colonies and homeworlds of every species ravaged by the war. It was another step forward and with each step forward Shepard saw two goals coming closer. The first of those two goals was reconnecting the galaxy and getting the people trapped back to their loved ones.

She was consciously aware of how lucky she was to have Kasumi with her at almost every second of the day. There was an entire galaxy full of people who were mourning or hoping their loved ones were somewhere out there still alive waiting for them to find them.

By repairing the Relays and comm buoys those people could reunite or at the least start the healing process.

The second goal each step forward brought her closer to was finally retiring and settling down with her thief. With every Relay repaired they would steadily be less of a need of the first human Spectre out in the field guarding ships.

If all went to plan she planned to step down as Commander of the Normandy and give it to Kaiden or James depending on the circumstances. Kaiden was already a Spectre and would eventually need his own ship to conduct business but if he decided to retire at the same time as her then it would probably fall to James.

The redhead had to make sure they were both ready for the day she stepped down. It was going to happen sooner rather than later and they were the two Alliance soldiers on the ship next in line. If it didn't go to an Alliance soldier then she would definitely consider throwing Garrus into the mix but those worries were further into the future still.

They first had to get through the Sol Relay before the N7 began her retirement plan. First order of business would be protecting the repair teams, going onto colonies to help or waiting around for trouble.

Of course there was always a possibility of a fight with slavers, pirates or what remained of Cerberus, but the hope filling the entirety of the Sol System was louder than the negative possibilities.

Home and family awaited beyond the Relay for many of the people in the system.

Still even though she was hopeful the redheaded N7 wanted to be ready for whatever they found out there and that meant keeping her body ready to go back into a fight. She was taking on a bit of philosophy she gained from Garrus, expect the worst that way there's a small chance she could be pleasantly surprised.

If expecting worst meant preparing her body for the constant running, jumping and shooting she had grown accustomed to during the war then so be it. The N7 pulled herself up and finished her final corn cob pull-up letting herself drop from the bar with a grunt once she was done. All that was left was some sit-ups and a stretch then she would be done exercising for the day.

Then came the fun filled adventure of filing and reading reports.

_Nothing like some paperwork to really spice up the day,_ Shepard let out a tired chuckle then took a deep breath attempting to calm her breathing. Although she did not enjoy the paperwork, it needed to be done now and then even if it wasn't entertaining.

Once her breathing was calmed she laid down on the floor to continue her workout.

Normally the reports would have been the usual stuff – general repairs, sectors of Earth and the Citadel being scouted or secured, ship repairs. With the Relay fixed though she had to go over the roster of who in the Alliance would be under her command and then who she wished to bring.

Without even taken a glance at it she already knew the Alliance members who had joined the Normandy during the war would already be on it. Steve, Samantha, Joker, Vega, Chakwas, Kaiden, Adams, Ken and Gabby each would be listed on the roster if they hadn't already signed on.

Javik was also another she knew would be on the Normandy for certain. Leaving the sole living Prothean alone on the Citadel was a sure fire way of getting a lot of "primitives" thrown out of an airlock.

Other than them she was going to ask the rest of her friends if they wanted to join her or not. Some she knew wouldn't, like Wrex and Jacob. Both had their own personal stakes in staying – Wrex politically and Jacob had Brynn and their soon to be born child – and would turn her down, even if it was reluctantly.

Either way she would approach them to at the least wish them luck while she was gone and tell them to stay safe. She knew she could not bring everyone with her but that did not stop her from feeling a little disappointed about it.

"Hey Shep." Shepard stopped at the top of her sit-up to see the woman she loved standing in the entry to the room wearing her purple hooded tank top and black pants that were similar to her armor. Her hood was up per the usual and around her neck were the redheads N7 tags gleaming proudly. The thief had a smile on her face and her right hand resting on her right hip. "How's the workout?"

"It's good. What's up?" She asked.

"Right now I'm just enjoying the view. Feel free to continue." She winked. Shepard shook her head happy her cheeks were already a rosy color. Kasumi's face turned mostly serious but her smile remained. "Seriously though you can continue. I'm here to pass on news then I'll let you finish working out."

The N7 gave a nod then continued where she left off in her sit-up count. "So…what's…going on?"

Kasumi walked in a bit further, "Jack was on her way to talk to you but something important came up so she asked me to pass on the message." Shepard raised an eyebrow at the top of her sit-up, "Kahlee contacted her. It seemed pretty important with how Jack was acting."

"What…did she…want to…tell me?"

"Instead of combat night it is going to be date night in the Armax Arsenal Arena." Kasumi smirked, "Well she didn't say it like _that,_ but I read between the lines. She's taking Miranda on a date and you're there to keep them from doing anything in public."

The commander gave a laugh at Kasumi's joke. Part of the commander was preparing for Jack or Miranda to appear out of nowhere to threaten the thief or silently roll their eyes and scoff before turning away as a blush appeared on their faces.

Much to her disappointment they did not appear to deny anything or to silently stare at them not denying anything. Instead Kasumi continued but with the truth this time, "Miranda finally decided to take a break from work to set up the match for tomorrow and I took the liberty of setting up a match just for the two of us afterwards."

Shepard came down from a sit-up and stayed down on the ground. "Sounds like a date, even if we are getting shot at by simulations." It would also serve as a nice warm-up after being out of combat for some time. Her thief crouched down at the N7s feet resting her hands on her knees.

With the simple touch the commander remembered the last time she had entered the Combat Arena with Kasumi. She remembered watching the agile thief as they fought against Cerberus with no medi-gel. She could still recall the warm feeling building in her chest as she began to realize how much closer she wanted to be with her best friend.

She could remember watching her lover smile and wishing to be the reason behind that smile. Wishing to be able to pull back the hood and see the beautiful woman under it as she kissed those lips. Wishing they could fall in love. Dreaming of feeling her bare skin on her own as they made love.

And then she got shot.

_Maybe it wasn't the best time to get lost in thought._ She looked up to Kasumi with a lopsided grin, "Hopefully I don't get distracted again." The simulator was just a simulator but getting shot still stung like hell.

"Aw, but I was hoping you would that way I could come in and save the day." Kasumi pouted. The redhead did another sit-up but as she reached the top soft lips pressed against her own for a brief second. She paused for a moment as Kasumi backed off and searched her eyes to see what she wanted to do. "Am I distracting you?" Her question was both a tease and an honest question.

She wanted to continue with the N7 but she did not want to completely intrude if continuing to exercise was what her lover wanted. As her thief searched her eyes Shepard found herself getting easily distracted by staring into the eyes that were far more beautiful than any sunset or rise. Her eyes traced down to the lips she had once only dreamt of kissing but now was able to kiss every day, an action that she would never grow tired of doing.

Shepard's eyes followed along those lips to the purple lip paint that she had always found attractive as well as mesmerizing. Her heart was beginning to beat faster and stronger as if it was trying to pound its way out of her chest cavity to finally be literally in the hands of her lover.

Her obvious admiring was all the thief needed as approval to continue.

Kasumi's soft lips pressed against her own again setting her lips on fire as only she could. Without any more persuasion being necessary Shepard brought her hands up cupping both of her lover's cheek deepening the kiss. The way the hooded woman's eyes stared into her own as they kissed full of love, the taste of her lips, the desire and passion she could feel from the woman in the kiss.

All of this was making her yearn for so much more.

The thief must have sensed it or saw it in her eyes because she gently parted the redheads knees leaning forward as she did. Using her advantage of position her lover easily lowered them to the ground with their torsos pressed against one another further deepening the desire to do so much more. Kasumi moved to support her own weight on her hands but was met with resistance when Shepard grabbed her shirt and pulled her back into a kiss.

Her thief's lithe body against her own was something she wanted to feel with no clothes but for the time being did not bother to remove the barrier. Her mind was too preoccupied on wanting to taste those beautiful lips again. The lips she had dreamed of capturing before the end of the war.

The lips that made her entire body quake every time they locked with hers or touched any point on her body.

With her initial plan out the window Kasumi instead found the redheads hands with her own and intertwined them. She then pinned them against the ground then began to trail kisses down her neck.

Shepard let out a gasp when teeth nibbled down on her, "You little." She laughed.

Kasumi gave a muffled giggle releasing her neck a few moments later kissing the area afterwards. She smiled at the redhead, "You like it." Her smile was infectious leaving Shepard with the smile on her that had not left since they began kissing.

Instead of responding with words the commander chose action. She wrapped her legs around the waist of her lover and squeezed her hands affectionately. She gave Kasumi a quick kiss on the lips then stared deeply into her eyes waiting for her to make her move.

Her body was demanding her to follow this time around. To let her lover have free reign over her body and control what they did right now.

As Kasumi began to move back in, a familiar British voice made itself known. "Commander I have an importan- oh!" The duo looked to the entry to see a very bashful looking Samantha Traynor averting her eyes to just about everywhere in the room where they weren't. "Um- I'm so sorry. I did not mean to…" She cleared her throat when she accidently let her eyes fall back on the two who were still in an intimate position.

"Hey Sam. Eyes are over here and up here." Shepard teased.

Traynor began to blush feverously averting her eyes to the floor again. The N7 had been meaning to get her back with the same comment she had teased her with when she invited her into her apartment after the clone business. The comm specialist had spotted her hot tub then and clearly wanted to use it so the commander had allowed her to.

It hadn't been a big deal and she had waited outside of the room for her to finish without peeking in. Sam was nice and attractive but Shepard did not have any intentions for the comm specialist other than being a friend. The N7s heart belonged to one person and that person currently had her hands pinned against the ground.

The tease Samantha had thrown at her had come when she had asked for the scented bath oils that had not been in the bathroom. It was as if some divine force thought it would be funny to put her in a position where she was forced to see her comm specialist soaked with water in just her underwear.

Giving the scented bath oils should have been simple, go in drop them off then take her leave to wait for her to finally be finished. _But nooo. Sam had to be a wiseass and insinuate I was staring at her breasts, which I wasn't._

Normally the joke wouldn't have been too bad but because of the thoughts going through her mind about Kasumi already treading along the line of intimate she had been unprepared. The whole situation became a bit awkward after that for Shepard solely. Sam had had a good laugh about it for some time during their stay on the Citadel.

This was a satisfying payback, if not a bit untimely. "Well her eyes are quite amazing to look at but there's nothing wrong with ogling over these too." Kasumi brought her hands to the commanders bra covered breasts and fondled them a little. Shepard bit her tongue to keep the noise she wished to make from coming out. Sam blushed further then turned around so her back was facing them but did not move seemingly frozen in shock.

Then it got worse.

"Hey Samantha. Have you seen Lola anywhe- dios mío!" James brought his hand in front of his face to block his eyes from the sight of his commander's breasts being fondled by the thief. "Lola this is the wrong room for _that_ kind of workout."

"I don't think there is any wrong room actually." Kasumi piped up as the commander below her was blushing and biting her tongue to stay quiet.

"Is Shepard in here? I have impor- by the Goddess!"

That was Liara and she was quick to look away as well. "Well this is going well." Shepard whispered to Kasumi.

"Could be worse."

Before the duo could separate…

"Yo! Is anyone here?" Footsteps approached, "Hey Liara why is everyone just…covering…their eyes." A sigh, "Okay seriously you two?"

"Hey Ghost." Kasumi greeted. "It got worse. Sorry." She whispered quickly to Shepard.

Ghost was in the company of two of his crew. The one on his left was his resident crimson haired hothead Whitney who was shaking her head and smirking at the position they found them in. On his right was his Asari lover Tara who was covering her mouth to hide her laughs at Ghost's expense as he was pinching the bridge of his nose in disbelief.

_Talk about bad timing._

"I can't believe almost every time we meet you two are doing something I don't need to see." He turned to his crew, "Do you see this?" He asked to his crew.

His crew was too busy trying to hold in their laughs to answer, but he received an answer from Shepard's.

"Goddess no." Liara answered.

"Absolutely not." James followed.

"Yes, but I didn't mean too." Samantha responded with mortification in her voice.

"Love, and company, how about we go wait in the main room? It will give them time to detangle without an audience." Tara offered. Samantha nearly took off at a sprint to get out of the awkward situation with Liara tugging James out with her. "See you two love birds soon." Tara winked at them then the trio turned around leaving the duo in peace.

Shepard was curious as to why Ghost was here along with how he managed to just get in her apartment without help. She pursed her lips in thought, _then again he managed to do that last time too._ It hadn't occurred to her the first time it happened, but Kasumi had been put in the hospital at the time so that thought was really minor compared to her other thoughts at the time.

The other reason she was curious was because every time he showed up trouble wasn't that far behind. _I guess I can't say much when it comes to attracting trouble. They weren't armed so there can't be some kind of hit squad on the way that he came to warn us about or intercept them._

He could have popped in for a friendly visit but that didn't explain why he had Tara and Whitney with him. Shepard also couldn't help but wonder what Samantha, Liara and James were seeking her out for. Both Sam and Liara had tried to say they had something important to talk abou-

The redhead let out a muffled moan into Kasumi's mouth as she engaged in a kiss and gently started to tease her nipples. The thief smiled victoriously into their kiss at the response she received.

Much to Shepard's dismay the thief ended their kiss not even a moment later and slid her hands down the commander's abs before using them to unhook the strong legs keeping her in place. "I suppose we should go see what they all want. We may have permanently scarred Ghost this time around and poor Sam may never recover from her embarrassment." Kasumi sat up on her knees sparing a thoughtful look towards the entry, "Ghost showing up does worry me a little, even if he didn't look like there was trouble."

Her thoughts had been along the same lines before her lovable thief decided to tease her only to leave her wanting more. The redhead wanted to do more and say to hell with whatever the others wanted. Her body was demanding her to hook her legs back around the woman and pull their bodies back together.

It was as all these thoughts were going through her mind that she realized Kasumi had did it all on purpose. "Kasumi Goto, you are going to be in _so_ much trouble later." Shepard warned.

As expected the thief smiled at her and winked, "Oh I look forward to it." She rested her hands on the N7s knees and pushed herself up offering the grounded woman a hand once she was sturdy. Shepard took it getting on her feet with help.

Kasumi ran a finger down the center of her torso as she continued to speak, "And I'll make sure to…_relieve_ those sexy tense muscles of yours." She stopped her finger at her waist then turned giving a gentle bump to the redhead's lower half with her hip before leaving her alone in the room.

Shepard began to feel as if the room was a lot hotter than it was as she watched her lover walk away and thought of her parting words. "Well played Kasumi, well played." She spoke to herself as she made her way to her towel and tank top. She toweled off her sweat then put her tank top on allowing her feet to guide her into the main room as she adjusted it.

In the main room she found the others waiting patiently for her. Ghost was standing at her big picture window staring out at the view. His body language gave nothing up as to why he was here, he wasn't tense as if there was an attack coming but his body was at the ready in case something did happen.

It was possible it was just a precaution after getting caught off guard here or after fighting in the war but Shepard did not plan to make any assumption until they spoke. With how much stuff blew up around both of them it was never safe to make an assumption.

Tara was sitting next to James talking to him about their squads rather unorthodox induction into the N7s compared to what he should expect if he didn't get trained by Shepard in the field. _Which is how it looks like things are turning out._

She had no problem doing it at all; he was a good friend and a great soldier. He could be a real smartass sometimes, but then again so could she and Anderson hadn't had a problem with it.

Liara was standing near the fire place speaking to Kasumi asking about her knowledge on a specific person who the commander had not caught the name of. By the look on the thief's face she had to guess she didn't know.

Sitting on the couch opposite of James and Tara were Whitney and Samantha who were talking about chess. The former of the two also enjoyed playing the game and had seen the comm specialist win the Kepesh-Yakshi tournament against Polgara T'Suzsa before the war ended.

Sam was already challenging the crimson haired woman to a game when Shepard approached Ghost at the big picture window. He was smirking and staring in the reflection at the two on the couch, "Whitney doesn't destroy the holographic board if she loses, does she?" The N7 asked quietly.

He chuckled and shook his head, "Nah. She's a hothead but she enjoys a challenge in chess. If it were Brad then…maybe. He'd probably try to cheat or something." The hooded man nodded backwards in their direction, "Besides they aren't only interested in chess. They've both been playing some sort of variation of chess through flirting."

"So you're eavesdropping?"

Ghost smirked at her and gave her a knowing look, "Says the queen of eavesdropping." She smirked and rolled her eyes, "You can relax. There isn't some sort of attack imminent or in existence at the moment."

Shepard allowed herself to relax a little. Not having to worry about another fight coming to ruin the peace that had come after the Saracino incident was nice. Still she knew there was more he hadn't said yet and it had to do with business of some sort. "But you aren't here for a courtesy visit either." She stated.

The purple eyed man nodded reluctantly. "Wish I was but I decided to play messenger today." He nodded back at his teammates again, "Brought them along to stretch their legs. Probably take them to the Combat Arena later once I'm done here." He looked back at her, "Good news is there isn't some fight or political bullshit you have to deal with. Bad news is I have political news to pass on although not all of it is bad."

"Don't tell me the Council is doing something really stupid." Shepard groaned. The last thing she wanted to hear was they had pissed of Wrex and now he was refusing to work with them or something of that caliber.

"No they aren't doing anything bad, I promise." Ghost grinned at her reaction. Once she gave a sigh of relief he continued, "It's about our next assignments."

"Meaning going through the Relays."

"On point as always. Turns out your team needs to be a bit more diverse instead of pure Alliance." He cleared his throat then took on what Shepard assumed to be an imitation of the Asari Councilors voice, "Your mission is meant to be a mirror reflection of how we went to war. Together. If Shepard and her team are just Alliance it does not show the full galactic support of reaching back through the Relays to find our fellow survivors. She is a figurehead and symbol from the war."

"You've got to be kidding me." Shepard could barely believe the Council was thinking she would take a pure Alliance squad and promote some sort of idea that it was only the Alliance who cared. She had never once pushed a purely human agenda but she had to remember they were politicians. They were a special brand of stupid.

Ghost recognized her line of thought immediately and chuckled, "Nope. I think they know you better than that so I assume they really meant it in showing approval to what you did. That or they're politicians who don't know how to express themselves without sounding like asses."

At his comment the redhead gave a laugh, "You may be onto something Ghost. They do at least know I'm going to pick who I'm bringing with me, right?"

He gave another nod and a smirk, "Yeah I pretty much told them if they thought they could stick you with whomever they thought worked then they were poorly mistaken. Hackett interrupted me after that and said you were already picking your squad from your previous associates." Ghost shrugged, "I guess he didn't trust my mouth would stay censored for much longer."

"Because it wouldn't have." She teased.

"True."

"So what's the rest of the news?"

"Orders from the old man. In short he wants you to talk to your crew when you can and see who will go and who won't but wanted me to tell you the official non-Alliance members going from your crew."

_So some of the guys have signed up already or were signed up._ The hooded man opened his omni-tool and a list appeared, "Primarch Victus already gave Garrus leave to join you as the Turian's show of support of the project. Wrex told Grunt to go with you to ensure Tuchanka was not forgotten. Admiral Raan agreed to let Tali join you again when she asked slash told her she was going."

_I'm going to have to find Grunt a new room. Having Javik share a room with him would be a bad idea. _He scrolled down a little, "Liara T'Soni's computers are still on the Normandy and locked away from everyone so it was kind of unanimous that she was staying. Justicar Samara has offered her aid but you'll have to confirm it. Something about the code." Ghost shrugged, "I didn't want to ask and risk getting killed."

"She wouldn't kill you unless you did something unjust." Shepard was glad to hear Samara was looking to rejoin the Normandy but she needed to confirm it with her. Even though the rankings of the Justicar order were probably thinner than before, the code was of severe importance to her friend. "I knew a few Salarian's who can represent their race if it's necessary."

"Jondum Bau and Major Kirrahe, right?" She nodded, "I'm sure they'd let you pick either but I don't think it's necessary. The scientists fixing the Relays and comm buoys take care of showing Geth, Quarian and Salarian support. Plus…" He stopped and rubbed the back of his neck shifting uncomfortably on his feet, "Well there's no way to sugar coat this." His eyes softened, "Any Salarian you put on the Normandy is going to remind you of Mordin Solus and it'll hurt. Trust me."

Shepard could not deny his logic because the simple mention of the Salarian Scientists name made her heart begin to ache. "Yeah you're right, it would."

It would be the same if someone made her bring a Geth or a Drell onboard. Sure she would get to know them and they would their own person…but the memories of going to see Thane, Legion and Mordin would come to mind. Those memories were good memories, and that's why they hurt.

"You can bring whoever else you want as long as they aren't going against their will and yada yada yada. You get the point. Talk to your friends and see who is going then report that to Hackett when you have the time." Ghost said closing his omni-tool.

Shepard gave him a small smile, "You really aren't the messenger type."

"I could give you the long debrief if you'd like." He smirked.

"I'm okay without it. Thanks for coming yourself."

"It wasn't a big deal. Thought I'd stop in and see what it was like to be here without getting shot at or worrying about an assassination." The redhead chuckled and slugged him in the arm, "Next time we see each other can you try not to be in a position like the one I found you in today, for my sake."

"No promises Ghost." She smirked.

He let out a sigh, "I was afraid you would say that."

The commander moved to where the others were and questioned James next. He was simply wondering if she was up for going out to get a drink with some of the squad. It sounded nice but she had to remind him that they would be swarmed by unwanted guests thanks to her popularity.

Not wishing to deflate the lieutenant completely Shepard quickly countered his offer with her own, "As I recall Kaiden owes us all a quality dinner to surpass your breakfast."

James gave a hearty laugh, "Oh man I almost forgot about that. Major Alenko trying to beat the Vega Special. Think he is up to the challenge?"

"His meal was pretty good Vega, you may be in trouble of losing."

The muscular soldier chuckled, "I'll have to see it to believe it. When it comes to my Huevos Rancheros there is no other food that can match it."

Shepard smirked at Vega, "An ego over food. Now I've seen it all."

"Oh come on Lola show me a little support. You've tasted it before; you know there is no match." He was actually right about that but she wasn't going to take sides in this argument.

"I'm impartial in this argument James. You'll just have to wait and see tonight when he cooks it."

James crossed his arms over his chest, "You couldn't just take my side this once Lola?" The N7 smiled and shook her head at the N7 candidate pouting. When Tara asked what was so special about his meal Shepard decided to quietly excuse herself from the conversation and let James gloat about his Huevos Rancheros.

He didn't realize it but she was showing peripheral support this way. She wished she could describe his meal but it was impossible. The way everything blended together to make her taste buds experience something far better than anything else she ever tasted was not in the realm of explanations. In all honesty her description of his meal would do it little justice compared to how over the top the lieutenant would describe it.

His ability to bullshit and add sprinkles of self-promotion had its uses. Like explaining something where not creating an extravagant story to explain it ended up lessening the quality of the subject of conversation.

Now the commander moved to her comm specialist who was now sitting alone while Whitney was speaking to Ghost. "Commander…I would like to apologize-"

Her comm specialist was already beginning to blush before she even got to what she wanted to apologize for. Instead of letting her suffer through the apology Shepard cut her off with a soothing voice, "Sam it isn't a big deal. Really. You don't need to apologize for walking in on us. It was an accident."

Samantha breathed out a shaky breath her blush disappearing, "Thank you Commander. You saved me from giving what would have been a mortifying apology."

Shepard heard the sound of a deactivating cloak and suddenly Kasumi appeared next to Sam sitting almost shoulder to shoulder. "No need to be mortified Samantha. She's a beautiful woman." Kasumi created a frame out of her hands and aimed them at the redhead, "Gorgeous eyes, beautiful hair, amazing face, and a sexy body. She's perfect." Samantha was beginning to blush again when the thief elbowed her side then lowered her hands a little, "And those breasts!"

"_Kasumi_!" The redhead chastised as a blush began to coat her own cheeks. This was really not how she planned this going. Kasumi gave a grin then disappeared using her cloak. It was classic Kasumi fashion to jump in a conversation and leave after making a comment like that.

The comm specialist brought her hand to her face and let it slide down it, "I am never entering a room with you two in it again." She groaned.

"Err…sorry?"

"That was really heartfelt Shepard." Liara teased from behind her.

Both women cleared their throats banishing the red that had crept onto their faces. "So Sam you had a message for me, or something." _Real professional Shepard,_ she chided herself. There weren't many people who could get her flustered like this; Kasumi was just the best at it.

"Right." Samantha cleared her throat again, "The Council and Alliance would like to hold a ceremony in London for the fallen and the victory four days from now. It is also meant to be a sort of going away party for the repair teams and other ships going through the Relay if the probe gets through undamaged."

"Shit, seriously?" Ghost approached the couch a serious look on his shadowed face. "I knew we would mobilize quickly but I expected more than two days after the initial probe test."

Samantha shook her head as Whitney joined Ghost at his side, "The ships aren't mobilizing the same day but from what I heard if the launch is successful then it will be soon after. No one wants to waste time when the rest of the galaxy is out there stuck in their systems."

The entire group nodded almost in unison, "Hard to believe we might finally be able to reach and salvage the rest of the galaxy." Whitney said thoughtfully.

"No not hard to believe." Ghost shook his head in disagreement, "Not with everyone finally working together. We've been squabbling over useless bullshit for years instead of working together. Imminent death got everyone's heads out of their asses. With everyone finally working together we've gotten a lot of shit done and now it's finally time we fix the entire galaxy instead of just this system."

"This isn't going to be easy my love."

Ghost smirked at Tara, "When have we ever done anything that was easy?"

She gave him a reminiscent and loving smirk in return, "True."

"They also want the Normandy there for the ceremony since it was the spearhead of the war." Samantha stated.

This was definitely news but not that bad kind, well not completely. The good part about it was they would hopefully very soon be able to go through the Relay to start repairing the rest of the Galaxy.

The bad part about it meant they were all going to have get dressed in formal Alliance clothes and sit through speeches and the like, and possibly give one in the commander's case. It wasn't really "bad" when Shepard thought about it, she just didn't want to get dressed up or give a speech in front of a group larger than her squad.

"Will Shep have to wear a dress? Because if she does I am _so_ going." Kasumi piped up deactivating her cloak to appear next to Ghost.

"She'll probably be in a similar suit to Hackett and Anderson." Ghost replied with a smirk. When Kasumi frowned he gave a chuckle, "Sorry to ruin your fantasy Kasumi."

"Spoilsports." She disappeared again.

"Does she…always just jump into conversations like that and leave afterwards?" Samantha questioned.

Kasumi appeared next to Ghost again but was bent over so her mouth was near Samantha's ear, "No. Sometimes I sleep." The comm specialist nearly jumped out of her skin as the giggling thief disappeared again.

"You get used to it." Shepard said with a fond smile.

"Or fall in love with it in Shepard's case." Ghost quipped.

Shepard continued to smile instead of responding. The facts were clearly in his corner on his joke and she didn't mind it whatsoever. She loved everything about the thief including her random appearances to give a small quip before disappearing again.

As Sam was left to recover from the thief scaring her, the redhead moved to the Shadow Broker who had been waiting patiently to speak to her. "What have you got for me Liara?"

"Well I _had_ come across a group of Cerberus loyal men and women attempting to organize but my agents have reported they've…gone missing." Liara let her eyes fall onto the purple eyed warrior standing behind Sam.

The Asari had said it loud enough for him to hear to see if he was the one behind it if Shepard had to guess. Ghost had been conversing with Tara when he heard the Broker speaking and simply flashed them a smirk with humor gleaming in his eyes before continuing his conversation.

_That does not bode well for those Cerberus agents._

Liara let out a sigh, "I guess we know what happened to them now. I do wish he would tell me how he got the information and acted so quickly. An agent of his caliber would be unstoppable."

That statement would have been equally true as it was scary if it wasn't for one fact, Ghost did not operate alone. There was no doubting his talent at all but the work put into keeping Cerberus at bay was a collective effort from all of the members of the N7 Talons. It was no different on the Normandy in her eyes, she was a talented soldier but she had a crew of the best to back her up in all of the tough situations she faced.

"Agents of their caliber. He doesn't do it alone." Shepard corrected.

Liara gave a small nod, "I guess you are right about that. Having less than a quarter of the agents I once had has made gathering reliable Intel a longer process."

"How bad are the losses to your agents?"

"I can't say. Most of them are beyond the Relay and I have had no contact from them since the Crucible fired." She shrugged helplessly, "For all I know they could all still be alive waiting for the network to be reestablished or have taken matters into their own hands. I hope for the former but I have a feeling there will be a lot of cleaning up to do within my own ranks."

"Have you tried recruiting anyone to help while we've been stuck in the Sol System?" The N7 asked.

"Yes, but as you know recruiting is a delicate process. I have to be sure they are completely loyal and not some amateur waving a gun around. Not to mention all of their missions will be within the Sol System to help rebuild. I can't send them anywhere else right now."

She had made several fair points that the commander understood. If she were to recruit someone who had stronger loyalties elsewhere she was risking both the lives of other agents and the possibility of being found. Working in the shadows was risky business because once a light penetrated through and revealed the person hiding in the shadows, no amount of darkness could ever hide them again.

Definitely not when the Sol System was all they had access to.

After a few brief conversations Ghost, Tara, and Whitney took their leave to go to the Combat Arena. James left at the same time to go find Steve and Kaiden to inform them of the new plan for the night, and to also goad the second human Spectre a bit if Shepard had to guess.

Not long after Samantha left with a stuttered excuse about going to check on "something." Kasumi was quick to make a quip about going to see a certain crimson haired hothead in the Arena.

She denied of course but the tell-tale blush and quicker exit spoke louder than her denial.

Liara received a message from her father Matriarch Aethyta and by the sound of it the two were working on getting to know one another better. Thankfully this time there was no coercing necessary to get her to go. Shepard was pleased they were still talking and hoped they would continue even after they left the system.

Shepard sat down on the couch in the main room exhaling a breath as she did. She was excited about the Relay and the mission coming yet it felt a bit unreal at the same time. The countdown to leaving the Sol System was official beginning after so long of just pure hope keeping the rebuilding of the Relay going.

The closer they got the more Shepard realized how much work was truly ahead of them. Fixing the galaxy was going to be a huge undertaking but keeping a stable peace was going to be just as difficult. The galaxy was a different place now that the war was over – Shepard continued to hold onto the hope that it would remain a better place after everything that had happened.

Kasumi sat down next to her then laid herself down on the lap of the redhead so her head was in the center of it. She reached her hand up and when it met the destination of Shepard's cheek her expert fingers began caressing it.

Her fingers set aflame Shepard's cheek in a soothing manner helping to start pushing those thoughts away. They remained in comfortable silence like this for some time before the thief finally cupped the commander's cheek bringing Shepard's attention to her lovers face. Kasumi gave her a comforting smile which immediately made all the thoughts clouding her mind go out the window.

Shepard returned her smile with her own then closed her eyes as she leaned further into the thief's hand finding comfort in the tender touch. "Don't worry Ana. Everything will be fine." Kasumi soothed.

"I know." She whispered. She opened her eyes and leaned down to the thief meeting her halfway in a slow tender kiss. They parted slowly from the kiss remaining almost nose to nose with each.

"I love you." Kasumi said lovingly.

"I love you too." Shepard closed back in capturing Kasumi's lips in another tender kiss. They kissed on and off for some time but eventually the two simply allowed themselves to relax in the position they were in intertwining one of their hands as they shut their eyes for a little while. The redhead hadn't forgotten about her thief's earlier antics but for now she was perfectly fine enjoying the bliss she found in this moment.

_Everything will be fine._


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Returning Home

"Miri, up high!" Shepard shouted out as she took cover behind a wall. The bastard sniper had her position covered well, too well to be exact. Every time she got out of cover the laser would track her regardless of where she was and then take a shot.

So far her shield had been taken down twice and at this point in the fight it was becoming equally frustrating as it was putting her in danger. They needed to take down it down now or risk an even worse injury thanks to the Atlas accompanying it. "Got it!" Miranda deployed an overload technique taking down the shield of the sniper causing them to stumble. Three rounds echoed after it piercing the snipers head taking them down for good.

"Time to take down the big bitch!" Jack sounded thoroughly entertained at fighting the Atlas stomping around the field of battle. It was the final enemy they had to fight and was what was causing the commander to be in danger when the Nemesis had taken down her shields.

With a quick glance up Shepard saw that with this final kill she would once again score nine thousand nine hundred and ninety nine putting her back at the top of the Armax Arsenal Arena's high score.

They had intentionally chosen the super elite's option with enemy enhanced shields and damage to get as much points as possible. It would help to bring more attention to her dedication to the Kepral Syndrome cure as high scoring had in the past. Doing this also showed her desire to destroy the disease how she and her squad destroyed the holographic Cerberus soldiers.

With extreme prejudice.

Currently they were at the Classic Armax Map with her position being on the bottom floor where the Atlas was stomping around. It was not the best place to be with the hulking death bringing machine nearby, but she was making do.

Jack was on the same side of the field as her but was still a distance away behind a different cover using her M-11 Wraith shotgun and biotic's to weaken the machine. Miranda was on the high ground mixing up her tech and biotic attacks with the rapid fire of her Locust sub-machinegun.

The Atlas's attention was drawn usually towards the two ground floor biotic's which helped the duo to alternate between taking cover and taking shots at the machine. It was the flaw of the machine not being able to turn on a dime to face new targets.

A flaw they were making the best of.

Shepard had gotten back into the swing of things fairly quickly using her mixture of biotic and tech attacks once more to kick Cerberus's asses as if they were amateurs. _They are holograms so I suppose I can't boast too much._

This was also a field test for Miranda to see how her biotic's reacted to the new amp she was using. So far the N7 was impressed by the strength it added with quicker cooldowns than her last amp had. Even with the exertion of energy she had expended during this fight she found that the amp had yet to start to burn and her reserve strength was still at peak condition.

Her strength not lacking at all was thanks to Jack's and Miranda's individual boot camps during her time of recovery and maintaining it on her own as of late. Thanks to their efforts to ensure she didn't have a complacent physical therapy, getting back onto the field of battle was like getting back on a bicycle again after years of not using one.

At first she had been a bit clunky but soon after it was like she never stopped.

Muscle memory kicked in allowing her to complete the dance she had danced for most of her entire life. It wasn't as pretty as a tango, but this dance was one she was an expert at.

"Alright, I've got a plan to take this final Atlas down." Shepard started. She popped out of cover to unload a few round from her Paladin to weaken the remaining armor on the Atlas. The commander quickly got back in cover when it aimed a missile right at her.

An explosion sounded off against the opposite side of her cover sending a shockwave through her armored body. Another feeling she had grown used to in her years of battle. "I'm going to toss my last lift grenade at him; it should knock him off balance. Jack I want you to hit it with your strongest shockwave on my go, Miri the same goes for you but you and I are going to use a warp."

Jack let out a hearty laugh at the plan, "That's going to create one big fucking explosion Girl Scout. I love it." Yes it would, and that was the plan. The power of their biotic's exploding off each other's plus the eventuality of the Atlas blowing up would create a large explosion.

A great way to end a match.

Shepard grinned to herself seeing an opportunity to give her friend a hard time. "You're just looking forward to detonating Miri's biotic's, aren't you?"

"I knew she was going to say that." Miranda groaned from her cover.

"Prude."

"I am not a prude." The former Cerberus operative retorted defensively.

"As I say Miri, proof of non-prudyness comes from a public display of affection. Until you prove me wrong, you will always be my favorite prude."

"Prudyness is not a word Shepard."

"Prude." She retorted trying to contain her laughter at the sigh of disbelief from her friend. Miranda for all her serious nature made herself easy to banter with even when she wasn't trying to.

The redhead spared a glance to the tattooed biotic seeing her roll her eyes at how easily Miranda was taking the bait. She had clearly not taken the initial bait on purpose only to have the raven haired woman end up taking it. "Give it a rest cheerleader. You keep setting yourself up for the same shit every time you open that perfect mouth of yours." Jack scolded.

"You would know about it being perfect." Shepard snickered at how easy her friend set herself up. _Only if Kasumi was here too, she would be getting in some good quips too._

"Can we just get on with this?" Miranda sounded exasperated.

Instead of goading them further Shepard grabbed her last lift grenade, "Okay, ready?"

"Ready." Miranda responded.

"Waiting on you Girl Scout." Jack replied.

Without further questioning the redhead leaned out from the side of her cover and tossed the grenade hitting the Atlas directly. As expected the hulking machine was knocked off its balance due to the biotic explosion from the grenade leaving the pilot too disoriented to get his gun aimed at any of them.

A quick glance to her two friends showed they were already glowing with biotic's waiting for her to command to unleash their full power on their final opponent. Shepard summoned her own biotic's to create a heavy warp, "Now!" She ordered.

On her order they each released their biotic attacks. Miranda's and Shepard's warps were the first to impact on the Atlas creating a medium sized biotic explosion. Before the detonation could fade Jack's powerful shockwave cascaded right into the hulking mass creating an even larger biotic explosion.

The energy formed by all of their attacks was powerful and the telltale signs of an imminent explosion from the Atlas signaled all three women to take cover. Even if it was a simulation, getting bruises were not unheard of if your shields were taken down.

A large shockwave from the explosion was sent out in all directions hammering the commander through the cover without knocking her over. Although she was not knocked over she could feel the strength of the wave echoing in her chest like a hammer striking an anvil.

"Damn, that was powerful." Jack commented clearly pleased as she stood up from her behind her cover.

Shepard stood up holstering her pistol as she did. The announcer came over the speaker announcing their victory with the score of nine thousand nine hundred and ninety nine. _Looks like I'm back on the top of the score board._

It was a bit of a petty thought since she truly did not care if she was on the top of the scoreboard, but she did secretly wish to see Ghost's face when he saw that his score was beat. _Knowing him he would dramatize the situation._

She gave a small smirk as she and Miranda moved to join Jack who had her shotgun resting on her shoulder. "Blowing up Cerberus shit just never gets old." She grinned.

"I admit it's a bit therapeutic after everything the Illusive Man did." Miranda agreed.

No longer having to deal with Cerberus ruining everything was a lot more therapeutic in the commander's opinion. Yet she couldn't deny she too enjoyed destroying a simulation version of the group that had caused her so many headaches.

"Aw, you two are bonding over blowing stuff up. It's so _cute._" Shepard teased.

She received two eye rolls in return from her two friends.

They exited the arena via the elevator they used to enter it. Said elevator brought them back down to the bottom floor where the holographic terminal to select the matches was located.

With her main match over that meant she was going to have her easier fun fight with Kasumi soon.

She was looking forward to stepping into the arena with her lover again. To see her in her form fitting armor, to hear her making quips on the battlefield and see her disappearing at a moment's notice to reappear as she was taking out an enemy. These were merely the smallest of reasons for why the commander was looking forward to the next fight.

To have her fighting by her side again was something Shepard was looking forward to more. It was the same with Jack and Miranda in some ways yet different in others.

During the Suicide Mission she had grown accustomed to having each of them at her side when going into battle. Then the Alpha Relay incident happened and after the Collectors were defeated they each went their separate ways because she turned herself in.

When the Reaper War came she had seen them each sporadically during the war and heard from them on a few occasions but they were all so far apart.

Of course the redhead was aware she could not lock them all up in her apartment and never allow them to leave. Eventually they were all going to go their separate ways once clean-up was more or less done.

They each had individual goals and dreams they desired to chase, whether that was retiring, taking on ambassadorial positions or simply to keep working in what they did best.

_Can't really imagine Grunt enjoying a boring retirement._

Despite this Shepard planned to remain in better contact with her friends this time around when it came time to part ways. They were her family and she had no intention of losing another family through lack of contact.

Now though she had the opportunity to fight alongside them again like what was now the good ol' days. No longer did she have to worry about them and how they were doing with the war. She was simply enjoying the luxury of their company.

Fighting alongside them also helped to reassure her of how well they could defend themselves and see how much they had each grown since they first met.

After what happened to Kasumi during the Saracino incident the redhead was looking forward to helping her get back on the bike just as she had. Their time of relaxation was more or less coming to an end and that meant getting back into shape for a fight.

Of course what had happened to her lover worried her, but at the same time she wasn't worried about her at all. Her thief was the best damn thief in the galaxy and could handle herself very well in combat.

She would be back to combat ready by the end of the first round.

Shepard was confident in her abilities and would not doubt the woman who had watched her back countless times before.

All that was left to do now was enjoy their second date in what was a normal environment for them.

The trio came to a stop at the terminal and stairs leading back up to the main floor of the arena. Jack turned around first with a smirk on her lips, "Thanks for the fun Shepard. That was a pretty kick ass match."

"Oh you know me Jack, I like blowing up stuff just as much as the next space Girl Scout." Shepard retorted wearing her own smirk.

"Almost felt like the old days." Miranda mused allowing herself to smile a small smile.

"Just like old times as Garrus would say." The commander recited her Turian best friend's saying. It did feel a bit like the old days except instead of mercenaries wearing different colored armor or Collectors they fought against Cerberus.

In a way that made things a bit more entertaining and less nightmarish.

Another difference was the attitudes of both powerful biotic's with her. Jack no longer lacked any care for her own well-being or others. She had matured a lot since the Suicide Mission and had grown to care for her students and the squad.

On the other spectrum Miranda's blind loyalty to Cerberus no longer existed being severed the moment the Illusive Man thought keeping the Collector Base was a good idea. Targeting her sister, trying to kill her, and working on trying to control the Reapers had really nailed in the coffin of never working with them again.

In words that only her sarcastic pilot could say secretly to survive any reprisal. _Commander, do you make a habit of helping people pull the sticks out of their asses? First Garrus, then Miranda? And then you helped Jack to become less crazy than she was. I lost a hundred credits to Kasumi because of you going around helping people. Next thing you're going to tell me is that Grunt is a pacifist and Javik is going to abstain from using "throw it out the airlock" as his solution to everything. _

Shepard smirked at the memory of Joker sharing his frustration of losing one hundred credits to Kasumi. She hadn't known of the bet until a few days after her thief surprised her with the Normandy team being in her apartment when Kasumi asked Joker for the credits he owed.

Since Miranda and Jack were on better terms, _dare I say a friendship at that, _and it wasn't a cold day in hell Kasumi was the victor of the bet.

_Leave it to her to bet on the most unlikely of possibilities and have it come through._ _Then again everything from the Suicide Mission to the Reaper war was betting against the odds and we pulled through,_ the redhead mentally shrugged, _I guess there were worse odds then those two being on friendly terms._

"For the most part at least." The commander shrugged finishing her earlier statement.

"Some things have changed." Miranda agreed with a nod.

"Except you being a prude." Jack chuckled at Shepard's comment.

The former Cerberus operative threw her hands up in exasperation, "I'm not a bloody prude!"

She really made it easy.

"As I've said countless time Miri, until you prove me otherwise you will always be my favorite prude."

Shepard wasn't sure why she enjoyed getting under Miranda's skin by calling her a prude; it was probably because she gave a reaction every time. It was similar to that of Tara making flirtatious comments to fluster her friends long ago and Shepard the one time she managed to do it.

Doing so was entertaining and gave Shepard a good laugh every time her friend would get defensive about not being a prude.

The N7 knew Miranda was truly not a prude and the Cerberus operative knew Shepard was simply giving her a hard time, she just couldn't stop herself from defending the fact she was not a prude.

"Of for the love of- fine!"

_Fine? _Shepard hadn't had the time to voice her question.

In a shocking flash of movement Miranda turned to Jack, grabbed her by her black jacket then pulled the surprised woman into a kiss.

The tattooed biotic's body tensed up for a brief moment of paralyzing shock, something the commander also found herself in to a lesser degree. Once the shock wore off Jack wrapped her arms around the neck of the raven haired woman deepening the kiss.

…_and Kasumi wins yet another bet._

Their kiss did not last much longer although it had already left Shepard rubbing the back of her neck in confusion as to what exactly transpired. She had often made jokes about there being sexual tension between the two, but those had always been jokes to her.

She knew at the start when she or Kasumi had made jokes about it the two had blushed a few times yet the commander had never really expected anything was really going on. Or at least she hadn't expected to make a joke and get what she got as a result.

_I told Jack I was supportive of whatever they pursued…but I honestly didn't think they would be anything other than on and off again frenemies. If I had known I would have been more supportive, plus jokes._

"Well, that's one way to prove it." Jack smirked.

If Shepard had to guess what the tattooed biotic was feeling right about now, she would place her credits on Jack being really turned on by the boldness Miranda showed.

"So uh- how long have you two been…together?"

A safe guess was they were together based on the intensity Shepard witnessed in their kiss. She could see there was more in it than just a blowing off steam kind of feeling, but she also didn't want to assume anything. _I've made enough of an ass out myself…Not what I expected to see today._

Miranda moved a little to Jack and intertwined one of their hands, _definitely together._ "A little while after our talk in the elevator." Jack answered. Shepard gave a nod understanding…even though she was still a bit confused as to how they went from what they were to this. "I guess what you said helped."

The N7 knew it was Jack's way of saying thanks for helping her to figure out whatever was going through her mind at the time. _Had I known I would have tried to help earlier or better for that matter._ _It also explains why she was quick to anger when I attempted to make those jokes. And why she dropped off the pull-up bar to threaten Zaeed._

It was not unknown to Shepard that emotional subjects and emotions could scare Jack. She had witnessed it a few times through their friendship where instinctually the tattooed biotic would start putting up her walls, get flustered, or get stressed at the moment her emotions got involved.

Fighting and making snarky comments were comfortable for Jack. Sharing emotions locked deep away inside of her after the terrible things she experienced to become the strong woman she was could possibly be the hardest thing for her to do.

Harder than fighting Reapers and sure as hell harder than crushing something or someone with her biotic's.

_And if Miranda had been the one to make her feelings known first Jack would have probably flipped the hell out. Confusion would have led to anger, _the redhead thought, _and she would have put distance between them outside of professional matters._

Confronting sensitive feelings and emotions were not in the playbook of the psychotic biotic. That wasn't to say she could not be sensitive, but she was not one to show it so long as she had the power.

In a way that was a similarity the two biotic's in front of her shared. They were both strong women who did not allow themselves to show any sort of weakness. Each had their own struggles growing up as well, one forced to live up one man's idea of perfection and the other being shaped into the perfect weapon.

And both were deemed mistakes by someone at some point – Jack by Miranda and probably everyone she knew before the Normandy for being what she was and Miranda by her father for one reason or another.

There were certainly differences between their struggles –Jack having a very traumatic childhood versus Miranda's pampered childhood – but there were parallels there. Shepard had always known it to one degree or another but she never dared to say anything about it.

Comparing the two to one another back during the Suicide Mission would have been a different type of suicide mission, but a suicide mission just the same.

"How did this all come about? I mean, I had to stop you from "smearing the walls" with each other." Shepard provided air quotes for the mention of the argument she had to break up back during the Suicide Mission.

"That's a story for another day Shepard." Miranda said.

"That isn't cryptic at all." She mumbled. Both women smirked and shook their heads at her with mirth in their eyes. She was hoping to hear at least part of the story but they were getting entertainment at keeping her in the dark for now. _Probably because no one will believe me if I tried to tell them._

Not that the commander planned on going around telling everyone. They had been clearly keeping it secret and would tell, or not, when they felt like it. "I'll hold you to that promise, Miri."

"You're looking for a sappy romance story on us, aren't you Girl Scout?" Jack received a bashful grin from the commander. Her friend shook her head at her brandishing a smirk, "Kasumi really has corrupted you."

_"My corruption has finally taken hold!" _The thief's voice played through her mind. It was now officially true; her love of sappy romances had rubbed off on the redhead.

Not that she really minded.

"You say that likes it's a bad thing." A voice piped in. The trio looked to the stairway simultaneously. Leaning against the wall with a smirk on her face looking oh so beautiful fully dressed in her classic black and silver armor with N7 tags hanging around her neck was Kasumi Goto in all her glory. "Sorry to drop in, I hadn't expected to find you like this. But I should thank you two."

Jack and Miranda raised their eyebrows in question but Shepard already had an idea of where this was going. "Dare I ask you why?" The former Cerberus operative questioned.

"Shepard and I had a bet going about you two since the Suicide Mission and we continued to up the ante until the end of the war."

"What was the bet?" Jack asked.

Something the redhead was regretting at this very moment. She had hoped Kasumi would forget, but that was like betting she would get caught on a job.

You'd lose every time.

"At first I bet five hundred credits you two were hiding sexual tension for one another. She didn't think you were, at first. Then around the time we met during the war I bet another five hundred that by the end of the war you two would blow off some of that tension."

Shepard let out a sigh, she had nearly forgotten about this.

Only nearly.

"And at the party I said I would watch a vid of her choosing regardless of how ridiculously sappy it happens to be, as long as it wasn't _Fleet and Flotilla_."

The biotic duo was beginning to realize why she had let out a sigh. Everyone on the Normandy during the Suicide Mission knew of the thief's love for sappy romance stories whether written or on a vid. "Don't forget the last part of our bet." Kasumi winked causing Shepard to blush. _And when I was released from the hospital we renewed the bet again, and I quipped I'd give her free reign to do whatever she wanted for the entirety of the vid if it came true._

The redhead knew she was now in for one hell of a marathon of teasing. She had signed her own warrant for being left utterly flustered with a magnificent blush and a quivering body when Kasumi had taken that bet.

It would probably be amazing, but it was also going to be terrible. Her thief was going to be relentless in what she was doing, and Shepard only had herself to blame.

Of course she had not expected it to happen, and her side of the bet was along the same lines if nothing did happen. So in a way one of them was going to be left flustered, blushing and quivering – and this time it would be her.

"It's funny, the expiration date on that bet was only a few days away Shep." Kasumi mused, "To think you were this close." She brought up her index finger and thumb with a minimal distance between them, "From winning the bet."

"I'll forward you the credits later." She muttered.

"So what sounds better Shep, _Vaenia, With Genericized Holiday Spirit, _or _The 840-Year-Old-Virigin?_"

A sigh escaped Shepard. Unfortunately saying neither was not an option. "Do I have to pick now?" Her lover nodded, _troublesome woman._ "Which is shorter?" She asked jokingly.

"Oh they're all about two hours long actually."

_Yep, definitely going to be terribly amazing._ She had to figure the second of the group of movies had Elcor in it while the third was probably a romantic comedy about an Asari. The first she had heard of a few times but wasn't entirely sure what it was.

_Something about glamorous actresses or Asari or something._ Shepard wasn't sure about that one, for all she knew it could be a really awkward vid. She had seen a few vids she couldn't stomach through because of how cringe worthy the "flirting" was – if you could even call it flirting.

The other two would probably guarantee laughter but if Kasumi was offering them it also meant there was a sappy love story to them. _They couldn't have just waited a few more days for our bet to expire with me as the winner to reveal this, _she groaned inwardly, _why did I have to push it?_ "Are any of them really strange or cringe worthy?" She asked.

Her thief brought her hand to her chin in thought. She likely knew the vids by heart and would at least have the courtesy to not force them both to be cringing as they watched. "_With Genericized Holiday Spirit_ can be a bit slow at points and I think the other two have one or two cringe worthy moments."

"Which would you prefer?" Shepard asked at length.

When Kasumi smiled a sadistic smile, the redhead knew she had just made the situation worse for herself. "_Vaenia_ works for me."

"Just try to keep it down you two. I'd rather not hear you two going at it like two Elcors." Jack teased.

The images that came to mind were images that needed to be burned forever. Both Miranda and Shepard blanched at the thought their resident psychotic biotic put into their minds.

But then Kasumi went and made it worse.

"Sexually satisfied: yes right there. That's the spot." Kasumi said in a monotone voice befitting of the Elcor.

Jack lost all control of her laughter letting go of Miranda's hand to clench her sides as she bent over. Miranda would have turned a shade of green had it been possible as the images she had been granted before were given a voice. Shepard was in between wanting to laugh and wanting to destroy the images and sound given to her now.

The tattooed biotic raised her hand out for the thief to high five, to which she gave one as she chuckled humorously to herself at the reactions to her joke. _She can be truly evil sometimes._ "Ugh…I'm never going to get that image out of my mind." Miranda groaned sounding a bit sickly.

Kasumi smiled in victory.

_I don't know what's worse, that or the Hanar and an Elcor one._ Shepard shuddered as she remembered her lover's revenge for telling her the truth about who the massage oils had originally belonged to. _Yeah, not even a decontaminator could get those images out of my mind._

"If you ask Jack nicely, I'm sure she'll give you a distraction." Kasumi teased the pair.

Her statement caused Jack to grin a bit evilly. "Yeah Princess." She leaned closer to the woman's ear, "Ask me nicely."

Miranda – still caught off guard by the situation at hand – blushed visibly. "Don't encourage her." She warned. Whether she was talking about Kasumi encouraging Jack or vice versa was unknown, but Shepard assumed it was probably a bit of both in this case.

"Oh fine." Kasumi pouted crossing her arms. "But when you wake up screaming in the middle of the night because you saw two Elcors going at it wildly, don't blame me. I gave you an out."

Again Jack fell into laughter at the look of disgust on Miranda's face. "You're unbelievable." She shook her head.

"Am not."

Instead of taking the bait Miranda wisely rolled her eyes, "Right. You two should set up your match before they assume you canceled."

"Good point." Kasumi agreed as she sauntered her way over to the terminal.

"I'll see you two later." Shepard received two nods before the two biotic's took their leave. She made her way over to her lover who had already punched in the map she wanted to go to, the enemies and the difficulty.

"Facing Cerberus elites on Prime Evil, huh?" Shepard asked as she slid her hands onto Kasumi's hips.

"Can't have it be too easy for us. Besides I thought the dark spooky forest might be a nice change of scenery from all the neon lights that our last date had. Maybe even stir some_ primal_ feelings in you." Stirring was a nice way of putting the feeling Shepard had at the comment. "Just you, me, a bunch of Cerberus goons and a cold forest."

Kasumi turned her head to look back at the commander who was attempting to maintain her composure for better or worse. She gave her a smile and continued, "The fighting will keep us nice and warm, and if it doesn't I may need your help…_maintaining_ my core temperature."

"Oh I think I have experience with that. Lots and lots of experience." Shepard teased back.

"Good." Her thief turned back around. "I think a rumble in the jungle might be fun. You have a message by the way."

Shepard opened up the inbox as Kasumi finished the final touches on the simulation set up.

_Seriously Shepard?_

The N7 chuckled at the title knowing it could only be one of two people at this point. James or Ghost. She opened it and began to read the short message.

_So there I was…resting and recovering after head-butting contest with Kar when suddenly I get a message from the AAA people. "Hello Ghost" it read, "Your high score of 9500 has been beaten." I don't even need to look because I know there is only one person who breaks the score board every time they go._

A chuckle escaped Shepard. She could hear his accusatory voice as she read.

_You seriously couldn't just let me hog the top of the score board for a little while Shepard? One day and bam! You march in and take the top score. _

_You are a cruel woman Shepard; I just wanted to let you know that._

_With love,_

_Ghost._

Not wanting to pass up the opportunity to give the purple eyed man a hard time, the sky blue eyed commander clicked on reply.

_Don't worry Ghost. Tara will always love you despite being bumped down to second place. It's a prestigious position someone has to fill, might as well be you. _

_I would say stop head-butting Krogan to save your face, but you were always ugly. _

_Might improve your looks if you continue, so tell Kar I said keep it up._

_Love always,_

_Shepard._

Shepard sent the message and together with Kasumi she moved to the elevator that would bring them up into the readied simulation. Once inside the simulator the arena changed into the dense dark forest map called Prime Evil. She spared her lover a smile, "This is quite the romantic spot you picked Kasumi."

"Oh I know. All natural forestry, dark area with no light pollution, stars above the canopy of trees." She bumped the commanders hip with her own, "And just you in that dashing armor with little ol' me in my favorite outfit. What are two women like us to do?"

"Kick ass and have an amazing kiss with an explosion in the background?" Shepard offered with a chuckle.

"Oh! That would be perfect wouldn't it?" Kasumi beamed. She brought her hand to her chin, "Why didn't I think of that? I was thinking maybe boosting you up against a tree or something before the match started, but that is genius level material I would find in one of my books." She looked to Shepard, "Think we could pull it off?"

Seeing her lovable thief go off into her own little world for a moment made the redhead smile a blissful smile. _I love her._ "We can always try."

"3…2…1. Begin." The announcer started the match.

With glee the two lovers engaged in combat their chemistry on the battlefield coming back into full swing. Much like their dance floor moves, they flowed across the battlefield in a battle tango working together to create a wonderful moment and never once stepping on the others feet.

Hearing the some of the same old jeers from her lover when she would use her cloak to strike from the shadows or when she would toss a simulation flashbang brought a reminiscent smile to Shepard's face.

"Gift for you" was always one of her favorites and sure enough her thief shouted it at one of the enemies when her flashbang exploded on impact against the Phantom. For a moment the redhead felt a little like Zaeed when he would be "waxxin' goddamn nostalgic" in his words.

So many memories of previous fights the pair had been in together flashed through her mind making her smile a bit more. Back then she always found appreciation for the nimble moves Kasumi was capable of for multiple reasons. One main reason was because they were helpful in tight spots and entertaining to watch as more of a straight up fighter herself.

Her limber body and cat-like reflexes were very impressive on the battlefield, especially because they usually caught her enemies off guard.

Not many could handle Kasumi in close range combat. She wasn't an assassin like Thane was who could break your neck with ease, but she was fast and could easily kick your teeth in if she wanted to.

At a lull at the end of the second round of three Shepard found herself admiring the woman who held her heart as she appeared from her cloak behind a Cerberus Guardian. "Over here!" She promptly roundhouse kicked the simulation in the back of the head knocking him forward before putting around in the back of his skull.

Two Troopers were nearby but she had been prepared for their counter-attack. She grabbed the forearm of one as he was about to use his shock baton then back kicked the one trying to attack her knocking him back a few feet.

With some distance between her and the other Trooper she then brought her leg back forward kicking the bottom of the shock baton so it was knocked up into the air. Kasumi let go of the simulated soldiers arm following it with a quick kick to the groin bringing him to his knees and leaving him groaning in pain.

Even simulations were not immune to a kick in the quad.

In a swift motion she axe kicked the grounded man causing him to disappear then caught the falling baton by the grip. The other Trooper had approached again but she swiftly dodged under his strike and got behind him to slam the shock baton right into the side of his head.

He too was eliminated by the hit and with no more enemies left in the round and the baton disappearing Kasumi turned her head to look over her shoulder where she knew Shepard was standing. When their eyes met the thief winked and disappeared using her cloak.

The simulations hadn't stood a chance against her lover and again the redhead found herself very impressed, and a bit aroused if she were honest. Neither of her opponents landed a blow on her and had they been real she would have made them look like fools. _She's definitely worked out the kinks since the Saracino incident, _she thought, _there's just something incredibly sexy about Kasumi kicking ass in a spectacular fashion._

"Damn she's gorgeous." Shepard murmured as she shook her head.

Lips suddenly pressed against her cheek, "Honey tongue." Her voice whispered. The thief's warm breath tickled her face setting ablaze her already very warm cheek.

Due to the final round starting the N7 had to fight against pulling the cloaked woman into a tight embrace and passionate kiss.

The next round ended up being much of the same with the two battle mistresses taking down their targets and having a good time.

Shepard was taking down a group of Cerberus soldiers ranging from Centurions to Dragoons when the sound of two cloaks deactivating behind her forced her to snap around.

"Sneaking up on a beautiful redheaded commander is my job, not yours." Kasumi chided playfully. She was standing on the side of a Phantom holding its arm and forcing its blade into its own stomach. "And on that note." The thief ripped the blade out of its stomach spun it in her hands and shoved it backwards. "You shouldn't sneak up on cute Japanese girls with a penchant for kleptomania. It's bad karma."

The original Phantom fell backwards dead but another was revealed as its cloak deactivated still holding its hands and blade above its head. She quickly ripped the blade out of its stomach as well and kicked it away as the original Phantom along with its blade disappeared.

Kasumi turned to Shepard wearing a smirk. "Totally saved your butt."

"What can I ever do to repay you, _my hero?_" She replied seductively.

"Pull me into a kiss with an explosion behind us, please." She reached out one of her hands.

"Aye aye." Shepard holstered her weapon and grabbed her lift grenades. After activating them she tossed them all at the remaining soldiers with one hand. With the other hand she grabbed the outstretched hand and pulled her lover so they were chest to chest and nose to nose.

Once the grenades detonated lifting the soldiers off the ground the commander summoned her biotic power causing her entire body to glow with a blue aura. She nudged her thief's nose with her own ignoring for a moment they were on a field of battle with their enemies suspended in air and people watching.

Right now it was just the two of them, in a forest with a small fire crackling nearby and their armored covered bodies pressed together. "Ready?" Kasumi gave a nod and engaged the redhead in a kiss as she sent a very large and heavy warp into the biotically lifted simulations.

A concussion of several biotic explosions went off like fireworks continuing to bounce off one another as they kissed. Frankly the redhead didn't hear them; she was too focused on the beautiful woman she was passionately kissing.

An idea popped in her mind mid-kiss that she just had to do. Slowly she lowered her right hand to Kasumi's left leg and lifted it up so it was against her side. The smile she felt within the kiss from her lover told her she was onto what she was doing and was completely okay with it.

At a steady pace she dipped the thief back mirroring their position after their tango exception of the switched positions. Shepard nibbled on Kasumi's bottom lip tenderly as she sucked in some much needed air and ran her fingers deeper into her sweaty red hair.

"So my hero, does this count as repayment?" She teased.

"Oh hell yes." Kasumi smiled her beautiful smile, "Best. Second date. _Ever_." Her lover said breathlessly.

Shepard smiled and gave her a small peck on the lips, "Who says it has to end here? There's a nice cozy bed and some nice scented candles waiting for us."

"My beautiful Ana." The master thief ran one of her hands down Shepard's chest to her stomach, "I've wondered what it would be like to strip you of your armor…piece by piece."

"Kasumi."

"Hm?"

The redhead smiled lovingly to her, "You already have."

At first the thief didn't catch what the redhead had meant raising her eyebrow in confusion as she tried to remember if she had or not. But then it dawned on her like the first light of the morning shining on the Earth.

She brought her hand up from her armored stomach and cupped her cheek. Her lover's face softened from her previous teasing as she began to gently caress her cheek with her thumb.

Again there was no one else but them in the galaxy as Shepard closed her eyes and leaned further into the comfort of her thief's hand. "I know. I'm honored to be the one who you dropped your barrier and tech armor for."

"You did an amazing jobs getting past them." Her voice was soft and truthful. Some days Shepard didn't know if she had unconsciously let those barriers down or if Kasumi was just that damn good and got past them.

In a teasing moment she knew her lovable thief would gloat about being that damn good, but in truth neither truly knew how this all happened.

Love was a mysterious force.

There was a ghost of a smile on Kasumi's hooded face, "I told you." She lowered her hand to Shepard's chest and rested it over her heart, "These quick hands can and have gotten me into far more secured places."

Shepard chuckled remembering the statement from the morning after her nightmare. While her thoughts had been along a different line at that time she knew the statement to be true in this case as well.

Gently she brought Kasumi back up so she could stand on her own two feet. Her head and heart were swimming in tons of emotions all surrounded by her love for the woman in front of her. It was something this woman managed to pull off at nearly any moment and always brought out the redheads true depth of the feelings she held for her. "It will always belong to you." She said.

Her thief brought her hand to her chin bringing her lips closer to meet Shepard's in a slow tender kiss taking all the time they wanted to share their strong emotions with each other. Just as slow as it started it ended just as slowly savoring the moment. "I know." Kasumi breathed out tenderly.

She leaned her forehead against the commanders and Shepard let out a breath closing her eyes as she did. With each inhale she took she breathed in her lover's scent letting it take over her senses as she found peace in their close proximity. "I'm yours." Her lover told her.

"I know."

And she did know. None of the questions she had once faced about whether or not Kasumi could ever see her as more than a friend pestered her mind. She knew they were both in this one hundred percent.

She knew her heart was in the thief's hands just as much as the thief's heart was in her hands.

For a few long moments they remained in the silent comfort of a close proximity to one another. It was peaceful. No outer problems weighed on her mind giving the redhead the feeling of freedom only Kasumi was capable of giving her. "Let's head back." The thief whispered.

"Yes, my love."

Two Days Later

Shepard stared out the large glass window in front of her at the long stretching arms of the Citadel. There was a lot of traffic out there as she stood watching in her N7 sweater and jeans' thinking about what was to come. The probe sent through the Relay had been successful and now they were a day away from the ceremony for the victory and the fallen in London.

For the most of the last two days she had been going around tying up loose ends and figuring who was assigned to the Normandy. The official roster consisted of all those who served during the war, the seven members of her squad from that time plus Kasumi, Jack, Miranda, Grunt and Samara.

_Twelve teammates for the ground squad, _she smirked, _just like old times._

Jack had gotten an undesignated amount of months of leave from Sanders while they were trying to figure out when and where to restart Grissom Academy. Until all of it was solved Sanders believed it would be best for Jack's talents not to go to waste sitting around.

Leaving the kids behind for the time being did bother the tattooed biotic. She had been with them for the duration of the war and a bit before it, leaving them was hard on her but she was toughing through it. They would be alright; if they could survive the war then salvage ops were going to be a cake run for them and the tattooed biotic knew that.

Still she was going to miss her teenage brats.

Miranda had also joined on since her set of skills, and background, made her much more useful on the Normandy than part of recovery teams. She knew the returning crew from the Suicide Mission during her time as XO and her intelligence would come in handy out in the field.

There was also a lack of trust for the former Cerberus operative by certain groups. Miranda didn't say anything but it was another reason why she took Shepard's offer to return to the Normandy. Being around a bunch of Alliance or Council members who didn't trust her enough to allow her to work properly was not at all appealing to her.

And if Jack was going then she was going as well to make sure she and Shepard didn't get themselves killed doing something utterly ridiculous – as they were prone to do in her words.

Samara's code had dictated during the war that she was more needed elsewhere instead of the Normandy and that was probably true. Her strength and abilities were not to turn your head at unless you wanted to die and Shepard was certain she had gave the Reapers tons of hell.

Now though her code was split. While she was useful within the Sol System and to the recovery teams, there was an entire galaxy the Normandy was going to be trying to help. There were many groups going through the Relay but her ability to help even more people than she could in the Sol weighed her code towards going with Shepard again.

The commander was glad to have her back and she honestly looked forward to spending time meditating with the Justicar again. There was something peaceful about the silence between the two of them as they got lost in their own minds.

Jacob was staying to be with Brynn as Shepard expected and respected. He wanted to be a better father than his had been, and so far he was doing a hell of a lot better.

Zaeed on the other hand was "too old to go paradin' around the galaxy again." Shepard did not blame him, after everything he had gone through from the Suns to the present day she understood his want to stay on solid ground. His ability to keep the more colorful characters of the galaxy in line on the Citadel would also be beneficial.

With the roster for the new mission finally settled all that remained was boarding the Normandy and then the disaster of figuring out where everyone would be staying. It was not an event Shepard was looking forward to dealing with but one she knew was going to be solved immediately.

That's what today was really for, that and prepping for the ceremony. After tomorrow was over they were going to be heading through the Relay to finally salvage what was left of the first large civilizations to survive the Reapers.

The day before she had met with Ghost and Tara alongside Kasumi to see the duo and the rest of his crew off. The N7 Talons were to be at the ceremony as well and they were all ready to finally embark on what was their home – The Setting Sun.

It was possible they would see each other again during this mission but Shepard wasn't sure how far apart their postings had them. Either way he was happy to finally be getting back on his ship with his full crew and ready to fix the galaxy.

The redhead understood how he felt because she too was looking forward to both of those.

"Hey Shep." Kasumi's voice was cheery as always yet also soothing to Shepard. The hooded woman leaned forward resting her forearms on the railing just as the redhead was to stare out the large window. Shepard looked over to her meeting her smile with her own before intertwining their hands.

Behind them the rest of her crew began to arrive each stopping briefly to converse with one another or stare out at the view of the Citadel arms stretching out into the vastness of space. They had another going away party to match their last one the night before although this one didn't feel so weighted down by the possibility of death tomorrow.

Then again the galaxy lacked Reapers so that probably had something to do with it.

"Ready to go?" She asked her lover.

"Yep. So are the guys, though a few may still have hangovers." She chuckled knowing it was more than a few. She felt her lover's head rest on her shoulder, "It's about time I've come home." She whispered lovingly to her.

Shepard gave her a peck on the cheek with a smile on her lips. One last time she stared out at the view in front of them.

There in all her glory was the ship she called home. The ship in which some of her best memories and some of the most harrowing experiences in her military career were all experienced during her tour on it.

The ship on which she was able to regain a family and meet the thief who stole her heart.

The Normandy.

_Home._

**A/N: Vaenia, With Genericized Holiday Spirit, and The 840-Year-Old-Virigin are apparently all vids according to a Mass Effect Wikia page, I did not make those up. Anyway thanks for reading and have a Merry Christmas, happy holidays or just have a nice day.**


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

One Last Journey

Shepard stood on the balcony of an abandoned building overlooking the streets of London. Much of the damage from the Reapers had more or less been fixed but there were still buildings and streets with craters in them.

It was to be expected and it was not so bad when one considered they could have all been wiped out instead.

Her stare was pensive as her gaze fell upon the Conduit to the Citadel in the distance. The structure and the entire area around it were large reminders of the final push, the final desperate attempt at ending the war.

Shepard could remember the sight of Harbingers beam cutting across the ground, the terrible sound the Reaper and the beam it shot made, witnessing Garrus and Kaiden get injured by the Mako. That place was one she had no desire to ever go near again for fear of these memories swarming her in full effect.

It held an ominous aura when she stared at it, to be closer would only intensify the feeling.

The redhead shuddered a little and forced the thoughts from her mind. The ceremony for the victory and fallen had ended a few hours ago and she felt the need to be alone. She needed to get her thoughts in order; she needed time to keep her emotions from swelling to epic proportions.

Her head was swimming with memories of the war. Everything from escaping Earth to the moon of Palaven, Sur'Kesh, Tuchanka, Rannoch, Thessia, Horizon and back to Earth again played through her mind.

_Talk about a long round trip, _a small smile graced her lips. It reminded her of a novel written a long time ago that she had borrowed from Kasumi's shelf. The story was about an adventure taking the main character far from his home and back again in the company of a wizard and several dwarfs.

Kasumi knew it was one of her favorites and had been a bit relentless in teasing when she found out back during the Suicide Mission. It wasn't that she thought the story was bad, she just saw it as her corruption taking hold back then.

Shep had finally fell in love with one of her books after telling her how sappy some of them were.

Thinking of her thief smiling made her smile momentarily sending a wave of relief through her mind. Her smile fell though, the thoughts of her thief were comforting yet they did not rid her of the thoughts about the war.

All the talk about those who lost their lives during the war burdened her heart as she thought about those she lost and different choices she had made.

Choices where she had to sacrifice the many for someone who would be able to help her.

Choices where she had to let friends sacrifice themselves to save entire races.

Ashley's face appeared in her mind first as she reimagined herself as she was stuck between going to Kaiden and going back for the Gunnery Chief.

The next was Mordin as she rested her hand on the locked holographic icon as he smiled sadly at her resting his hand where hers was.

Praying with Kolyat as Thane lay in the hospital bed came next, the tears she shed as she sat alone in her cabin thinking of the friends she had lost.

Hugging Legion from behind before he died knowing he had to do what he was doing but wishing there was some other way. Hearing him call her Shepard-Commander and telling her thank you.

Shepard's eyes began to burn as she held back the tears threatening to fall. Keeping it together as she gave a speech had been one of the hardest things she had done since the end of the war. All of the memories of her fallen comrades and even those who she hadn't had the honor of calling friends had been playing through her mind during the entire ceremony.

She was trying her best not to make them a burden on her heart, but right now it was hard. The wounds of the war were still fresh, just nudging the scab caused it to bleed all over again.

Time was what people said healed all wounds but the N7 knew the wounds dealt would leave nasty scars on the souls of everyone, herself included.

_It's better that way, _she told herself. Scars were needed so no one would ever forget the pain and loss that happened in what could have been their final hours. It was one of the reasons she hoped the Conduit and the surrounding area would always serve as reminders to that fateful day.

Remembering would keep them from making the same mistakes and would preserve the peace for the next generations.

Droplets of rain began to plop on the ground slowly. The clouds had been building for some time and the smell of rain had hit her senses already.

Shepard didn't mind it.

Her mind knew the Earth was prone for this kind of weather, especially here in London after what the Reapers did to it. All the damage done had no doubt messed up their previously recovering environment. The recovery from the damage inflicted during the late 21st century had started to see major improvements before the Reapers showed up.

The violent weather they once had was no longer as bad and she hoped it would remain that way despite the damage done.

Still despite knowing that the weather was acting as it always did, her heart wanted to believe it was the spirits of the fallen weeping for their loved ones who were still feeling the pain as she was. A foolish thought as any but instead of seeing it as the spirits not at peace she saw it as them trying to tell those left behind to find peace.

_ Like Thane told me._

Retreating back into the safety of the building would have been a good idea to prevent herself from getting drenched…but Shepard wanted to enjoy the rain. There was something…freeing about standing in the rain listening to it all. The sound of the soft pattering rain on the streets and buildings was quite peaceful.

There was no sound of thunder or flashes of lightning, no swirling gusts of wind.

Just…peace.

Shepard closed her eyes and lifted her head to face the sky.

_Rest easy my friends._

* * *

Kasumi had never been one for attending large ceremony's unless she was stealing from someone. _A lot more fun my way_, she mused. Despite this she attended the ceremony with the rest of the Normandy team watching her lover the entire time. She had been in the same high ranking suit that Admiral Hackett and Anderson wore except she made it look good.

Biased? Probably, but the thief thought she was stunning. _She would have looked even more stunning in a dress. Though this time I'll make an exception, this wasn't the event for one._

Showing off a lot of skin at the ceremony would have been disrespectful to those who gave their lives to stop the Reapers. This was the reason she chose to wear her armor instead of her hooded tank top.

The crew had headed back to the Normandy after the ceremony ended and after they said any remaining farewells to the people they knew at the event. Well almost all of the crew, all save for Kasumi really. She was on the hunt for her lover who had promptly disappeared after it was over.

For a while she left her be alone. From her seat at the ceremony she could see the struggling in her lover's eyes to get through it all without shedding any tears, as always. There was pain in them, but there was also strength.

After it was all over Shepard looked like she needed some time alone so the thief gave her it even though she would have been happy to be at her side for comfort. Now though the rain was coming and she was a little worried about the redhead.

Following in the direction she saw her lover go lead her to an abandoned building within the vicinity of the Normandy but still a bit of a walk away. The building had been hammered by the war from the looks of it, on the inside and on the outside.

Ascending the stairs and searching each floor had taken some time but eventually she found the commander standing on a balcony with her head raised to the sky.

Kasumi could hear the echo of raindrops on the building hitting at a rather slow pace for the moment. Thanks to her natural stealth approaching silently had been fairly easy. In any other moment she would have tried to scare the woman but now was not the time.

As she reached the commander she wrapped her arms around her waist moving closer so her chest was against her lovers back. She rested her head on her shoulder and nuzzled into her neck. "You look quite beautiful in uniform my dear commander." She teased lightly. Shepard chuckled softly. "You okay Shep?"

"Just thinking about old friends."

In truth Kasumi had thought about them too. She missed Mordin, Legion and Thane and knew without their sacrifices the outcome of the war could have been totally different. It did not ease the pain knowing their sacrifice had helped the war; in fact it only made her miss them more.

She wished she had taken a little more time to stop and visit Thane a little more while he was checked in at the hospital. Going into Geth Space or finding the STG base where Mordin had been sounded like another suicide mission but she wished to have seen them one last time while they were aboard the Normandy.

It made her regret not joining Shepard back then a bit more.

Unfortunately life didn't work like that. You didn't always get your chance to say goodbye one last time and sometimes doing so was harder than being left with the wish of seeing them again.

This was true in Shepard's case who had been there with those three in their final moments. She had been there at their sides as they passed, had said her goodbyes and now those were some of her first memories of them.

Kasumi knew this to be true as her first memories of Keiji always started at their final moments together. She could still remember good memories of the two, but the first thing she always thought of when Keiji came to mind was that last heist.

For Shepard she too would remember the good, but in moments like these her first memories brought her back to those last moments with them. The thief held her lover a little tighter in an attempt to comfort her.

She felt a bit helpless in the face of such overwhelming sad thoughts.

Deep down Kasumi had worried the ceremony bring about these thoughts. It was only natural since they were talking about those who were lost during the war. Yet she had hoped it wouldn't have reopened the fresh wounds on the strong woman in her arms.

The woman who had faced death and beat it with a strength of will no one could compare to.

"I miss them too. We all do." She whispered gently.

"Think they're looking down with smiles?" Shepard asked.

Kasumi nodded slightly, "I do. They're at peace Ana, I know it."

They had defeated the Reapers and were about to start the rest of the recovery efforts for the entire galaxy. All three would be happy to know the war had ended in victory and the mass deaths the Reapers caused were at an end.

The rain began to fall in larger amounts but both women made no move to get out of it. They remained in the embrace listening to one another breathing and the sound of the down pour around them letting the rain wash away their worries. Their clothes and armor in the thief's case were quickly drenched along with their bodies and hair yet neither cared.

They were at peace here together in a warm embrace.

After several minutes of silence and getting soaked Shepard turned around wearing a sincere smile. "Thank you for your company Kasumi."

Kasumi gave a smile in return, "My pleasure Ana. Care to join me under the shelter?"

"Yes, but there is something I've always wanted to do first."

"Oh?" Kasumi raised an eyebrow in question.

The redhead closed the distance between them gently removing the master thief's hood to reveal her soaked face and hair. The way Shepard was staring at her as if she were the most beautiful person she knew made the thief blush as her heart started to beat a bit faster.

Shepard brought a hand to her cheek caressing it before bringing their lips together in a tender kiss. _Kissing in the rain. Now I know I've corrupted you Ana._ Kasumi smiled into the kiss putting all of her emotions into it just as Shepard was.

The kiss was intense with passion under the rain filled sky each woman pouring their very souls into it as if it were the last kiss they would ever share. In a way it was the last kiss they would share on their homeworld for some time.

With the mission ahead of them they probably wouldn't step foot in the Sol System again for a time. In the end it did not matter to them because they would be together on this new adventure ahead of them.

Reluctantly they ended their kiss due to the rain coming down harder than it was previously in sheets of ice cold rain. Together they headed back in under the building safe out of the rain yet still dripping wet. Shepard pulled off her jacket revealing that she had on her tank top under it then laid the blue jacket on the ground.

She kicked off her shoes and pulled her pants off as well so showing she had come prepared in shorts too. This in turn made Kasumi begin to laugh a little, "You were waiting to get that off, weren't you?" She teased.

"I hate getting dressed up…it's not me at all." The commander gave a look of disdain at the dressy clothes.

"Aw. But I thought you looked gorgeous in a dress." Shepard blushed and turned away to hide her smile. Kasumi saw it though and smiled in victory. She loved letting her lover know how gorgeous she was in a dress even though she hated the clothing item.

Her eyes moved back over to the thief a bit expectantly so the thief smiled and began taking off her boots and gloves. "If you ask me to take it off slower, I am inclined to paint your armor pink." The usually hooded woman teased.

Shepard shuddered at the thought of going around in pink armor making Kasumi laugh as she began to take off the rest of her armor. Under it all she wore the N7 tags and a shirt and shorts but she quickly undressed out of those too leaving her in just her underwear and the tags.

The N7 blushed slightly and took hers off as well laying them out to dry a little. They laid themselves down on top of their soaked clothes and cuddled next to each other keeping close together for the sake of warmth and the need to be close to one another.

The thief nuzzled up against her lover resting her head over the woman's heart. "So my dear Ana. You have me _alone_, half-naked and soaked from head to toe." Kasumi looked up to her as a sly smirk tugged onto her face. "Was this all part of some ingenious plan to cuddle without interruptions?"

"Err…will you think it's romantic if I did?"

"Of course."

"Then I totally planned all of this."

Kasumi laughed and gave her lover a knowing look. "You little liar." Shepard mocked a pout. The thief kissed the bottom of her chin, "But you're my gorgeous little liar."

"And you're my beautiful thief."

They shared another kiss before resuming their previous position of watching the rain fall. It would be some time before it finally stopped leaving the two women to stay hidden within the building. That was okay, they were comfortable laying and holding one another as they were.

They also had no desire to drip all over the Normandy floor.

_Joker would never let us hear the end of it._

"Kasumi."

"Hmm?"

"I wanted to thank you."

Kasumi looked up to the sky blue eyed commander in question. "Thank me? For what?"

As the words left her mouth she had a moment of déjà vu.

"_Kasumi before you go I wanted to thank you." Shepard spoke steadily to her but Kasumi could see the torn look in her eyes. There was something she really wanted to say but was having trouble finding the words for it._

_Kasumi tilted her head in question, "Thank me? For what?" she asked. In the commanders holographic eyes she could see that her mind was going faster than the speed of light._

"_For everything…you've been a great friend and though I missed not having you on the Normandy during this war I was happy that I had been able to see you at the party. If this goes south for me and I don't make it out I wanted you to know…" Shepard paused leaving Kasumi to wonder what she was going to say. Her heart was beating a bit quicker as she could see so many feelings within her best friend's eyes. "It was an honor knowing you."_

Kasumi shook off the moment of déjà vu when her lover started speaking. "For everything. For falling in love with me, for being at my side since the end of the war always ready to help or give a quip to cheer me up, for corrupting me."

She added on the last part as a joke making Kasumi smile despite her heart hammering in her chest. "Ana, you don't have to sa-"

Shepard sat up forcing Kasumi to sit up as well. "No, I do." She cupped the thief's cheek as her eyes softened full of a strong love she had grown so accustomed to loving. "You mean everything to me Kasumi. I just wish I had had the guts to tell you sooner. I love you. I think I always have but I know I always will."

The thief had already been losing herself in to the swelling emotions in her heart as she stared into her lovers magnificent sky blue eyes.

But that last statement caused all of her strength to fail.

"You and that damned honey tongue." Kasumi felt a tear escape her as she rested her forehead against her lovers. "I love you too, Ana. So much more than words can describe."

"I know you already said you were coming but I need to ask to know you are sure about this." Shepard stared at her with hope and love in her eyes, "Kasumi Goto, will you embark on one last journey across the stars with me?"

There was no hesitation in Kasumi in answering that question.

"Yes."

Shepard smiled a loving smile, "I'm glad it was you who stole my heart Kasumi."

"Me too." She whispered.

Her lover gave her a kiss then pulled her into a warm hug before they resumed lying on the floor.

_One last journey across the stars,_ Kasumi smiled.

She liked the sound of that.

Two Days Later

"Commander, all ships are ready and waiting for your order to go through the Relay." Joker announced over the comm.

Kasumi leaned against the railing next to her lover as she stared at the galaxy map. She smiled, this was finally it. Priority: Galaxy Repairs was finally a go and they were about to make the first Relay jump since the end of the war alongside the other ships.

Part of her was nervous about the Relay but if it ended up chewing them up and spitting them out in the Galaxy core or something she was going to spend her last seconds with her Shep. "Alright Joker. EDI send the signal, I think it's time we reconnect the galaxy."

"Yes Shepard." EDI responded.

The Normandy began to make its way towards the Relay at the head of the fleet of ships going through. "Commander, the Captain of The Setting Sun is attempting to establish a comm."

"Put him through EDI." Shepard replied.

"You know, I'm really glad I'm not the first going through." Ghost came over the comm.

Both Shepard and Kasumi rolled their eyes. That was Ghost as usual. "I could always order you to go." Shepard said.

There was laughter in the background of the comm from Darian as the purple eyed N7 groaned. "….Me and my big mouth. Shut up Darian or I'll send you through with an escape pod." The duo shared a chuckle before the N7 Talon member came back over the comm, "Good luck to you Shepard. Hope to cross paths with you again during this mission."

"You too Ghost. Take care of yourself and your crew."

"Yes ma'am. Same goes for you."

The comm was shut off and Kasumi found herself holding her lovers hand as they got closer and closer to the Relay. "Making the jump in 3…2…1."

Shepard pulled the thief into a kiss the moment Joker came over the comm and remained in it all the way through. The Normandy passed through the Relay coming out the other side with the ships designated for her coordinates following through with them. "Jump successful Commander…you can stop your "in case this is the end" kiss your doing." Joker snarked over the comm.

The two parted with smiles on their faces. It was nice to hear Joker over the ship intercom giving out witty remarks again. She had many great memories on this ship and the thief knew she would get more on this last tour she and her lover were going to go on.

Kasumi looked to the galaxy map for a moment wondering just how well the others across the galaxy were doing. She hoped everyone was okay and no one was doing anything questionable, _if they are they're going to be stopped when we arrive._ "So what now Shep?" She asked as she turned her gaze back to her.

Shepard smiled at her and gave her a peck on the lips, "Now my love, now we fix the galaxy."

Kasumi nodded and smiled intertwining her hand with Shepard's as they made their way down the stairs towards the elevator.

She was looking forward to this final journey across the stars.

**A/N: Just the epilogue left, thanks for reading!**


	24. Epilogue

Epilogue

Commander Anastasia Shepard stood tall as she stared out at the setting sun shining in the distance. It had been ten years since the end of the Reaper War and it had taken six of those years to reconnect the galaxy to a point where she was confident to leave it in the hands of others.

Stepping away from active duty had not been as difficult as she thought it would have been many years ago. Then again having Kasumi at her side made retiring all the more easier. Now the redhead served as a sort of ambassador of peace for the entire galaxy which didn't require her to leave home that much.

The wounds dealt by the Reapers were still very fresh in the minds of the galaxy and the people who had lived through it. All of the respective leaders of each race knew the alliances made were the only reason they survived and had no intention of breaking those bonds forged in the fires of war.

No one would ever forget the cost of victory or the great peace they had found afterwards.

Many events had happened in those six years of galaxy repairs, some of which were fond memories and some that she was not too fond of looking back at.

Those events though were all passed over by the great events of the last four years. After leaving the Normandy in the capable hands of Spectre Kaiden Alenko and some of their friends who had yet to retire she and Kasumi had finally started following after the dreams they had shared with one another what was now ten years ago.

They had found a secluded beach on Earth far enough away from the main cities to be in privacy yet still close enough to fly in for supplies and such. Their house on the beach was not overzealously large yet also not too tiny that they would bump into anything just by turning.

She still owned her apartment on the Citadel which finally got moved back to the Widow System in the Serpent Nebula about two years ago. It still got use when the crew would get together to see one another or when the couple would go together because Shepard herself was called to the Citadel.

Usually though she allowed her friends to use it if they ever stopped in at the Citadel and she wasn't there so they didn't have to stay on their ship or pay for a hotel.

About a year after they moved into their beach house they adopted two Asari twins – Zenia and Denia – who were currently five years old and still the cutest little Asari's ever.

Parenthood was definitely a new experience for the two adults but together they had raised their children with tons of love.

The same year they adopted the two children Anastasia had become pregnant with their first human child via a sperm donor. The red haired bright green eyed bundle of joy – who was going on four years of age in a few months – was named Xandria.

The trio of children were very close with one another and never fought unless it was fun bantering, similar to their parents in that way. A year later Kasumi had become pregnant as well giving birth to their fourth and final daughter. Little Miyako, like Xandria, was a carbon copy of her mother save for her electric blue eyes.

She was turning three soon and already had a natural stealth like Kasumi did where Xandria had a more straight forward way of going about things like Shepard. Denia and Zenia weren't much different in that aspect, they too had picked on different traits of their adopted mothers.

Still Shepard and Kasumi were both very happy with their four children who were growing to be great children. Maybe that was parental bias but they loved their children equally and unconditionally.

_So much has happened._ Shepard thought as she watched the sun dropping. Despite everything that happened she found her heart still firmly in the hands of her lover. Their love had only grown more as the years had passed and even more when they became parents.

A smile pulled its way onto her face as she heard the shouts, laughs and giggles of her daughters approaching as they were chasing one another. She turned to look at them seeing Zenia carrying Miyako on her back with a smile as she chased after the others who were in the midst of trying to reach Anastasia first.

Kasumi was walking behind them wearing a deep purple semi-sheer sarong tied around her waist that fell a little below her knees. She had a black bikini on under it and for a top with her long black hair free of a ponytail and the N7 tags around her neck. The thief still wore her purple lip paint and despite having a child had gotten back to her old lithe body.

She was gorgeous.

Anastasia had done the same except her body was back to its more muscular shape as it had been at the peak of her condition. Couldn't sit around getting lazy when she wanted to be healthy enough to see her children grow to be grown women.

The thief thought she was still the most beautiful woman she knew, _probably says that to make me blush._ Spirits knew she got a kick out of it every time she managed to do it. Then again so did the former Commander when she was on the offense in their flirt battles.

She herself was wearing her old N7 hoodie zipped up to her navel with a dark blue bikini top under it and a pair of black shorts on.

Anastasia crouched down with her arms out as Denia and Xandria reached her tackling her back to the ground causing a fit of laughter from all those present. The sand was soft under her and also cool with the sun no longer beating on it. It was quite comfortable as she began to get her retaliation by tickling her two daughters.

The two squealed and giggled attempting to break free only managing to do so when Zenia and Miyako "held down" their mother to help them. Teaching them teamwork was equally great as it was a pain when they teamed up on their parents in these cases.

Of course she could have easily broken free but where was the fun in that?

The little band of girls ran off to continue playing as Kasumi reached her giving her a loving smile as she reached her hand out. Anastasia smirked at her grabbing her arm and pulling her down to her so the thief was on top of her receiving a yelp of surprise for her efforts. "Cheater." Kasumi gave her a peck on the lips.

"You love me."

"Maybe." Kasumi smiled

In retaliation the former Commander began tickling her lover causing her to try to fight back as she too laughed. Yes the last four years of parenthood had taught her the ins and outs of ticklish spots.

Although it also taught Kasumi them as well.

Anastasia remembered that the hard way when her lover – who clearly had the better leverage at the moment – began tickling her in return. The two were laughing fairly hard when they stopped their grins never leaving them.

Kasumi was sitting on her lap now caressing her cheek as she got her laughs under control. "I- I received a message from Ghost and Garrus." The thief tried to get out between breaths.

"Oh?" Ghost had become a great friend during the six years of working on repairing the galaxy and he too retired a year after she did. So far he had five Asari children – three adopted and two of his own – and Tara was expecting another. He liked to joke about being outnumbered by his horde of girls but he was truly happy as was Tara.

Their crew remained close after the N7 Talons officially resigned just as the Normandy team had.

Garrus and Tali were still together as well with two adopted children – one Turian girl and one Quarian boy. The two, like Shepard, were ambassadors for their people and had done a great job ever since taking the roles.

"Yeah. They're both wondering if it's a good idea to surprise Miranda like that."

"What? They don't think putting up a banner saying "Congratulations on having your first child" will be funny?" She chuckled.

"Garrus said it might end badly and Ghost thought it hilarious but to warn him so he could be on the opposite end of the galaxy when they saw it."

Ana chuckled again. The two biotic's were still together and Jack had recently told her she was pregnant with twins after going through the same thing Shepard and Kasumi had. Miranda wanted children but could not have any herself so as a surprise the tattooed biotic went through with this.

Miranda was still in the dark though. Jack wasn't that far along and their anniversary was coming up which was when she was going to tell. The former commander thought it would be entertaining to put up a streamer but if Ghost and Garrus thought it would end badly – then it probably would.

"Alright fine."

"Aunty Jack and Miranda are having kids?" Zenia asked from behind the two lovers.

Kasumi looked over Shepard with a smile, "Yes, but we have to keep it secret for now. Aunty Miranda doesn't know yet."

"Like when you surprised mommy, mama?" Xandria questioned.

"Yep." The thief smiled.

Anastasia could still remember the day Kasumi had sprung the surprise of having Miyako on her. Just as it was when they adopted Denia and Zenia and the day she had Xandria it was the happiest day of her life among the list of happiest days.

"Sun is setting Ana." Kasumi whispered to her.

She nodded and grabbed the thief firmly before standing up and turning around to watch it. Kasumi got comfortable between her legs as their little band of girls joined them.

Together as a family they watched the sunset. It was full of beautiful yellow and oranges with some pinks mixed into them. Their children watched in awe as always while the two lovers felt the wave of warmth and comfort at having this dream of having a family becoming reality.

They smiled fully the entire time until the sun finally set and they began escorting their children back into the house. As they walked the two lovers held hands never leaving the others side as their girls headed in first allowing Anastasia and Kasumi a moment of privacy.

Anastasia stared out at the ocean for a moment thinking about the events leading up to this wondrous time in her life.

A time of peace, tranquility and love after living through what was certainly hell.

Maybe it was selfish of her to be living like this in her early forties when she could still be a part of the Alliance or further involved in an ambassadorial role…But for once in her life she was allowing herself to be selfish to fulfill a promise she had made.

A promise she would keep and had no issue with being selfish to do so now because she was finally at peace with everything she did in her life. Something she had only ever seen in Thane before his death – it was truly amazing.

Being here with Kasumi and their four kids was better than any feeling dreaming ever gave her about it.

_I'm lucky to have them._

"What are you thinking about?" Kasumi asked curiously.

Anastasia let out a small laugh, "Just how lucky I am to have you and the girls."

Her lover smiled her beautiful smile, "Honey tongue." She wrapped her arms around her neck and brought their bodies together. "Not a day goes by that I don't think about ten years ago and tell myself how lucky I am that you made it. That your feelings brought me from my own dense ignorance to find you there patiently waiting for me to realize you cared."

The former Commander felt her heart beating a bit harder in her chest as Kasumi spoke the words for the feelings they both had. "I thank the spirits of our fallen friends for sending you back to me all those years ago so I could find this love. Because if you hadn't then I wouldn't have this…amazing feeling every time I wake up. This drive to live in the moment instead of inside a graybox."

"They're so sappy." A childish whisper sounded off from behind the door.

"What's a graybox?" One asked.

"Ahem!" Anastasia cleared her throat in a way her daughters knew meant to give them privacy. The sound of scurrying feet sounded off granting the two adults their time together. The redhead turned back to her lover who was grinning sheepishly, "They get that from you."

"I know. I think it's cute." Kasumi smiled.

"It is." She agreed. Anastasia leaned her forehead onto her lovers, "I know how you feel. I think about it too, how lucky I am that everything turned out the way it did. That I somehow lived to see you again and tell you how I feel, and then to be able to experience this."

"I love you, Anastasia Shepard." Kasumi nudged her nose with her own.

Ana smiled and nudged her back, "I love you more Kasumi Goto."

They shared a long passionate kiss putting all of their emotions into it as always. The feel of her warm soft lips against her own felt like the first day they kissed after the lame one.

The feel of their tongues dancing with one another made pleasurable shivers run up her spine at the familiar dance. Their bodies pressed together brought back memories of their first night making love and every night they had shared together afterwards for the last ten years.

These feelings that had not once ever ceased to make the former Commanders heart pound faster and stronger as the love she felt from Kasumi swarmed her body.

She was the happiest woman alive.

As they parted for much needed air Kasumi kissed the bottom of her chin and smiled at her, "Happy Anniversary Ana."

She smiled back. "Happy Anniversary Kasumi."

They intertwined their hands and made their way into the house through the door leading from the dining room out. Much to Shepard's surprise there were streamers hung up around the house and a cake on the table where there hadn't been when she left the house.

The banner hanging above the table read _Happy Anniversary_ and in front of the table were her four daughters all grinning. "Surprise! Happy Anniversary!" They cheered.

Anastasia brought her gaze to her lover who was grinning at her, "Surprise." She offered sheepishly.

Tears welled in the eyes of the former soldier but she fought them by hugging her thief tightly who returned the hug. "I love you. Always." Kasumi whispered into her ear.

"I'm yours, forever." She replied before letting go and going over to her four daughters wrapping them up in one giant hug. "I love you all. Thank you for this."

"It was Mama's idea, but we helped to set it up. Miyako put up that streamer, Xandria did that one, Denia that one and I did that one." Zenia pointed out the different streamers around the room.

Anastasia smiled at them all giving them each thanks for doing it. _Not what I meant my little ones, I meant for being such great children and allowing me to be your mother. For giving me a family away from the Normandy._

She didn't speak those words not wishing to ruin their sparkling good moods._ One day,_ she promised, _when you're older and will understand better, than I will tell you those words._

Kasumi rested her hand on Ana's shoulder as she spoke to their daughters knowing exactly what the commander really meant.

"Okay, so who wants the first piece of cake?" Ana asked as she stood up.

To the cheers of me firsts and the like both parents smiled as they helped to pull out the chairs for their children and put them in them.

As Anastasia cut the cake she spared her lover a loving smile.

_Good surprise, my love._

Kasumi gave her a sly yet loving smile in return with a wink.

_Stole your heart, knew you would love it._

"Isn't it weird when they have those silent grown up conversations." Xandria whispered to Denia.

"I think they have telepathy or something."

Both lovers smirked at their children before cutting and passing out each piece of cake on a paper plate to each of their children first.

Ana took her place at Kasumi's side as they ate their cake. As she watched their kids eat their cake she smiled. _I love you all, thank you for making my dream a reality._

A bit of frosting was suddenly being smeared on her face causing the former commander to break out of her thoughts and away from the guilty finger. Kasumi was trying to contain her laughter at the look of frosting smeared onto the side of her face, "You missed a spot." She laughed.

Anastasia smirked, "Care to help me clean it off?"

Their children started making disgusted noises as Kasumi licked it off with a smile on her face. "I have _plans_ for you later." She whispered so their daughters wouldn't hear her.

She was successful in that endeavor as well as making the redhead blush. She had an idea of what plans she had and she was certainly thankful for making the room soundproof as well as setting up trackers in the hallways to know if their daughters were getting close to the door.

Ana was looking forward to it but for now she would bask in the happiness of their children and her lover.

This was her beautiful family.

This was home for her.

The End

**A/N: I'd like to thank all those who have read, faved, followed, reviewed and stuck with this story from start to finish and all those who stumbled upon it halfway through and to those who find this later on after its completion. I had an incredible time writing this and if I'm honest I never expected it to be more than a few chapters long, but 327 pages, 147,607 words and 8 months after the initial publishing date later here we are. It's bittersweet for me to end this but every journey has an end, and for now Shep and Kasumi have reached their journeys end.**

**For anyone interested in seeing more of those two or the biotic duo I do plan to do a continuation off of this story through a Miri/Jack story taking place during the Stolen Hearts timeline/universe but I have no idea when I will get a start on that but I do know Kasumi and Shep will make appearances in it whenever I do embark on that journey. **

**Again thank you for reading this and have a happy new years or just a great day depending on when you read this, hope you enjoyed reading this story and its end as much as I have enjoyed writing it. **

**Till next time. **


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